parish directory - Forward in FaithLONDON N21 Holy Trinity, Winchmore Hill. A modern catholic parish under the Bishop of Fulham . Every Sunday: Said Mass 9.00am and Sung Mass10.30am

BATH Bathwick Parishes, St.Mary’s (bottom of Bathwick Hill),St.John's(opposite the fire station) Sunday - 9.00am Sung Mass atSt.John's, 10.30am at St.Mary's 6.00pm Evening Service - 1st,3rd &5th Sunday at St.Mary's and 2nd & 4th at St.John's. Con-tact Fr.Peter Edwards 01225 460052 or www.bathwick-parishes.org.uk

BEXHILL on SEA St Augustine’s, Cooden Drive, TN39 3AZSaturday: Mass at 6pm (first Mass of Sunday)Sunday: Mass at8am, Parish Mass with Junior Church at 10am. Further details: Fa-ther Robert Coates SSC on 01424 210 785

BIRMINGHAM St Agatha, Stratford Road, Sparkbrook (B111QT) “If it is worth believing in, it is worth travelling for” Sunday Mass11am. Contact Fr.John Luff 0121 449 2790www.saintagathas.org.uk

BISHOP AUCKLAND St Helen Auckland, Manor Road,West Auckland Medieval church. A Parish of the Society of S.Wil-frid and S.Hilda. Sunday: Sung Mass 10am, Evensong and Bene-diction 6pm. Weekday Mass: Mon 7pm, Tues, Fri, Sat 9.30am,Wed 10am, Rosary Mon 6.30pm. Parish Priest: Canon RobertMcTeer SSC 01388 604152 www.sthelenschurch.co.uk

BLACKPOOL St Stephen on the Cliffs, Holmfield Road,North Shore A SWSH Registered Parish. Vicar: Canon Andrew SageSSC. Sundays: Said Mass 9am, Solemn Mass (Traditional Lan-guage) 10.30am, Evening Service 6pm; easy access and loop. Tel:01253 351484 www.ststephenblackpool.co.uk

BOSTON LINCOLNSHIRE St Nicholas, Skirbeck Boston’soldest Parish Church. A Society and Forward in Faith Parish underthe Episcopal care of the Bishop of Richborough. Sunday. LowMass 8am (1st and 3rd), Sung Mass 9.30am. Daily Mass, offices,benediction and confessions as displayed on notice boards. Dur-ing vacancy contact 01 205 354687www.forwardinfaithlincs.org.uk/stnicholasboston.html

BOURNEMOUTH St Ambrose, West Cliff Road, BH4 8BE.A Parish under the patronage of Ss. Wilfrid & Hilda. Sunday: 8amLow Mass BCP, 10am Sung Mass Traditional Ceremonial (CW),4pm Choral Evensong, 2nd Sunday of the month Choral Even-song with Benediction. Daily Mass, Monday to Saturday, at8.45am and Daily Evening Prayer, Monday to Saturday, at5.30pm.Parish Priest Fr Adrian Pearce SSC 01202 911569; Parishoffice 01202 766772. Email: [email protected]

BOURNEMOUTH St Katharine, Church Road, Southbourne,BH6 4AS.Resolutions passed under the House of Bishops Declara-tion.. Sung Mass at 1030am on Sunday. Said Mass everyWednesday at 10am. Parish Priest: Fr Kevin Cable Obl.OSB,(FiF/Society Priest). [email protected] or Tel: 01202460005

BOwBURN, Durham Christ the King, DH6 5DS; Aparish of the Society, under the care of the Bishop of Beverley.Durham City's 'Forward in Faith' parish. Sunday: 11am SungMass and Sunday School; Weekday Mass: Wed 9.30am, Fri6.30pm; Parish Priest: Fr John Livesley SSC 01388 814817

BRADFORD St Chad, Toller Lane (B6144, 1 mile from citycentre). Society Parish. Sunday services: Solemn Mass 10.45am,Evensong 6.30pm. Weekday Mass Wednesday 7.30pm. EnglishMissal/BCP. For all other services and information please contactthe Parish Priest, Fr Liam Beadle [email protected]

BRIGHTON wAGNER GROUP The Annunciation(11am) Fr.Anthony Murley 01273 681341. St Barthlomew’s(11am) Parish Office 01273 620491. St Martin’s (10am) FrTrevor Buxton 01273 604687. St Michael’s (10.30am) Fr.RobertNorbury 01 273 727362. St Paul’s (11am) Fr.Robert Norbury 01273 727362. (Sunday Principal Mass times in brackets.)

BRISTOL Ebbsfleet parishes All Hallows, Easton BS50HH. Holy Nativity, Knowle BS4 2AG. Sunday Mass 10:00 a.m.(both Churches), Weekday masses: Tuesday 7:15 p.m & Wednes-day 10:00 a.m.(All Hallows), Friday 10:30 a.m. (Holy Nativity).Contacts:Fr Jones Mutemwakwenda 01179551804, www.allhal-lowseaston.org Father Steven Hawkins SSC. 07834 462 [email protected] www.holynativity.org.uk

BROMLEY St George's Church, Bickley Sunday - 8.00amLow Mass, 10.30am Sung Mass. Daily Mass - Tuesday 9.30am,

Wednesday 9.30am, Holy Hour, 10am Mass Friday 9.30am, Sat-urday 9.30am Mass & Rosary. Fr.Richard Norman 0208 295 6411.Parish website: www.stgeorgebickley.co.uk

BURGH-LE-MARSH Ss Peter & Paul, (near Skegness) PE245DY A resolution parish in the care of the Bishop of Richborough.Sunday Services: 9.30am Sung Mass (& Junior Church in termtime) On 5th Sunday a Group Mass takes place in one of the 6churches in the Benefice. 6.00pm Sung Evensong (BCP) WeekdayMass Thursdays 9am. Other services as announced. All visitorsvery welcome. Church open daily from 9.00am- 5.00pm. Rector:Canon Terry Steele, The Rectory, Glebe Rise, Burgh-le-Marsh.PE245BL. Tel 01754810216 or 07981878648 email:[email protected]

CARDIFF near rail, bus, Millennium Stadium, city centre and BayDaily Mass St Mary, Bute Street Sunday: Solemn Mass 11am;Parish Priest Fr.Dean Atkins SSC 029 2048 7777www.stmaryscf10.co.uk

CHARD The Good Shepherd, Furnham. Under the Episco-pal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sunday: Sung Mass 9.45am,Solemn Evensong and Benediction (3rd Sunday only) 6pm.Weekday Masses: Tues 10am, Wed 6.30pm (with Healing andReconciliation on the 4th Wed of the month). Contact: Fr JeffWilliams 01460 419527 www.churchofthegoodshepherd-chard.weebly.com

CHESTERFIELD St Paul, Hasland, Derbyshire Sunday: SungMass 9.45am (Family Mass 1st Sunday), Evening Prayer 3.30pm.Masses: Tues 7.15pm (Benediction last Tues of month), Sat8.30am. St James, Temple Normanton, Chesterfield, Der-byshire Sunday: Parish Mass 11.30am, Thur: Mass 7.15pm.Churchwardens 01246855245. 0124685552

CHOPwELL Saint John the Evangelist NE17 7ANA SocietyParish ABC. Sunday - Sung Mass 10am. Daily Office & Mass asdisplayed. Parish Priest: Fr Paul R Murray SSC 01207 [email protected]

COLCHESTER St.Barnabas Church, Abbott's Road, OldHeath, (Society/ FiF). Sunday Mass 10am (Sung). Monday 6pm,Tuesday 10am, Thursday 7pm, Holy Days 7.30pm. Check websitefor other daily serviceswww.stbarnabasoldheath.wordpress.comVicar Father Richard Tillbrook, SSC. 01206 [email protected]

DEVIZES St Peter’s, Bath Road, Devizes, Wiltshire Society ofSt.Wilfrid and St.Hilda parish under the episcopal care of theBishop of Ebbsfleet. Sunday: 8am BCP Low Mass; 10am SungMass. Wednesdays - 7pm Low Mass. On major festivals & Saints'Days - times vary. Contact Fr. Vincent Perricone 01380 501481

DONCASTER St Wilfrid’s, Cantley DN4 6QR A beautiful andhistorically significant church with much Comper restoration. ASociety Parish under the Episcopal care of the Bishop of Beverley.Modern catholic worship with a friendly atmosphere. Sunday:8am Mass and 10am Parish Mass. Wednesday: 9.30am Mass (fol-lowed by coffee morning). Friday: 8pm Mass. Saturday 9.30amMass. Visitors very welcome. Contact: Fr. Andrew Howard ssc.(01302) 285316, mob. 0774 [email protected]

DONCASTER Benefice of Edlington S John the Baptistwith Hexthorpe S Jude, Sung Mass Sundays 9.00amEdlington and 11.00am Hexthorpe, 7pm on Weekday Solem-nities, Confessions Edlington 6.45pm Wed and Hexthorpe7.30pm Fri or by appointment. Normal Weekday Masses: TuesEdlington 9.30am, Wed Hexthorpe 9.30am, Thurs Edlington7pm, Fri Hexthorpe 7pm. Divine Office recited each day(7.30am and 6.30pm Edlington) (8am and 5pm Hexthorpe).Other occasions see noticeboards. Contact: Fr Stephen Edmonds SSC - 01709858358 [email protected]

EASTBOURNE St Saviour’s A Society Parish. Sunday: LowMass 8am, Solemn Mass10.30am. Daily Mass and Office. Detailsand information contact Fr.Mark McAulay SSC, 01 323 722317www.stsaviourseastbourne.org.uk

ELLAND All Saints, Charles Street, HX5 0LA A Parish of the Soci-ety under the care of the Bishop of Wakefield. Serving Tradition-alists in Calderdale. Sunday Mass 9.30am, Rosary/Benediction

usually last Sunday, 5pm. Mass Tuesday, Friday & Saturday,9.30am. Canon David Burrows SSC, 01422 373184, [email protected] www.ellandoccasionals.blogspot.co.uk

FOLKESTONE Kent, St Peter on the East Cliff A SocietyParish under the episcopal care of the Bishop of Richborough.Sunday: 8am Low Mass, 10.30am Solemn Mass. Evensong 6pm.Weekdays - Low Mass: Tues 7pm, Thur 12 noon. http://stpetersfolk.church e-mail:[email protected]

GRIMSBY St Augustine, Legsby Avenue Lovely Grade IIChurch by Sir Charles Nicholson. A Forward in Faith Parish underBishop of Richborough. Sunday: Parish Mass 9.30am, SolemnEvensong and Benediction 6pm (First Sunday). Weekday Mass:Mon 7.00pm, Wed 9.30am, Sat 9.30am. Parish Priest: Fr.Martin07736 711360

HALIFAX St Paul, King Cross: Queens Road, HX1 3NU. An inclu-sive resolution parish receiving sacramental provision from theBishop of Wakefield. Sunday: 11.00 Solemn Mass; 16.30 (Win-ter)/18.30 (BST) Evening Prayer Fourth Sunday: 18.30 Evensongwith Benediction (Occasionally Choral) Monday: 12.00 Mass Fri-day: 10.30 Mass Parish Priest: Fr Kevin Barnard 01422 360740www.stpaulskingcross.co.uk

HARTLEPOOL St Oswald’s, Brougham Terrace. A SocietyParish under the episcopal care of the Bishop of Beverly. Sunday:Sung Mass 9.30am. Daily Mass, Offices and Confessions as dis-played. Parish Priest: Fr Graeme Buttery SSC 01429 273201

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD St Francis of Assisi, Hammerfield,Glenview Road, HP1 1TD. Under the episcopal care of the Bishop ofRichborough. Sunday Sung Mass at 10am. Solemn Evensong andBenediction at 6.30pm (4th Sunday). Traditional rite and cere-monial sung to Merbecke. Vicar: Fr.Michael Macey, 01 442247503 e-mail: [email protected]

HEMPTON Holy Trinity (near Fakenham, Norfolk). A SocietyParish. The Church on the Green. Visit us on the way to Walsing-ham. Mass on Sundays and Wednesdays at 10am. Linked to theShrine of OLW. Contact Fr.Paul Norwood SSC, 07886 276467

KINGSTON-upon-THAMES St Luke, Gibbon Road (shortwalk from Kingston railway station) Sunday: Low Mass (EnglishMissal) 8am, Sung Mass (Western Rite) 10.30am, Evensong andBenediction 5pm. 3rd Sunday each month: Teddy Bears Servicefor pre-schoolers 9.30am. Wed, 7pm Exposition, 8pm Mass. FirstSat of the month, 11.15am Mass of Our Lady of Walsingham. Forfurther information phone Fr Martin Hislop: Parish Office 0208974 8079 www.stlukeskingston.co.uk

LONDON E1w St Peter’s, London Docks A registered parishof the Society of S. Wilfred & S. Hilda. Nearest station is Wapping(Overground). Buses: D3 or 100. Sunday 8am Mass. 10amSolemn Mass Daily Mass and Offices. Contact: Fr JonathanBeswick SSC 0207 481 2985, Fr Robert Ladds SSC 0207 4883864 www.stpeterslondondocks.org.uk

LONDON EC3 St Magnus the Martyr, Lower Thames Street(nearest Tube: Monument or Bank) A Society Parish Under the Epis-copal Care of the Bishop of Fulham. Mass: Sunday 11am, refresh-ments following, Tues, Wed, Thur and Fri 12.30. Visitors verywelcome. www.stmagnusmartyr.org.uk Fr Philip Warnerrector@ stmagnusmartyr.org.uk

LONDON N21 Holy Trinity, Winchmore Hill. A moderncatholic parish under the Bishop of Fulham. Every Sunday: SaidMass 9.00am and Sung Mass10.30am with Junior Church. Week-days: Tues to Fri 12 noon Angelus and Mass. Saturday Mass10am. For the Sacrament of Reconcilliation and other enquirescontact Fr Richard Bolton at [email protected] orphone 0208 364 1583

LONDON Nw3 All Hallows Gospel Oak, Hampstead,NW3 2LD A Society Parish under the Bishop of Fulham SParishMass each Sunday at 10am. For further details: PrebendaryDavid Houlding SSC

LONDON Nw9 Kingsbury St Andrew A Society Parishunder the Episcopal care of the Bishop of Fulham Sunday: SungMass 10.30am, Thursday Mass 10am – both followed by refresh-ments. Tube to Wembley Park then 83 Bus (direction Golders Green) toTudor Gardens Contact: Fr.Jason Rendell on 020 8205 7447 [email protected] -www.standrewskingsbury.org.uk

Continued on page 37

2 ■ newdirections ■ June 2019

parish directory

11 GHOSTLY COUNSELANDY HAwESCome to the Father

15 LETTER TO THE EDITOR

19 CAwSTON’S APOSTLES

21 THE wAY wE LIVE NOwCHRISTOPHER SMITHon Queen Victoria

27 DIARYurifer gets musical

28 FAITH OF OUR FATHERSARTHUR MIDDLETONon manuals of devotion

29 A COURTYARD IN JERUSALEMANN GEORGEwalks the Street of Prophets

30 SECULAR LITURGIESTOM SUTCLIFFEis singing

36 TOUCHING PLACES. Peter, Wooen Wawen, Warks

Vol 22 No 281 June 2019

6 Greater than the Cherubim!JOHN TwISLETONwas in Westminster Abbey

7 Ordinations to the Diaconate 2019

7 All in a day’s workFATHER PAULmeets Sir Rod

8 Praying for the Religious LifeNICOLAS STEBBING CRlaunches a new apostolate of prayer

9 News from Forward in Faith

9 Ordinations to the Priesthood 2019

10 Christianity 2000ROBERT BEAKENon an upcoming event

12 A work for UnityGABRIELLA MASTURZOon an ecumenical link

14 The Faith of EmmausDAVID CHISLETTwalks the Emmaus Road

16 Laud, O Sion MICHAEL FISHERoffers a reflection for Corpus Christi

18 Method in their MadnessJ ALAN SMITHwonders how democratic things are

21 Views, reviews & previews

ART: Owen Higgs on Munch and Rembrandt

BOOKS: John Twisleton onSt Augustine’s ConfessionsSimon Walsh onWords that Listen, andFace to FaceNigel Palmer on Angels Guy Willis on Conformedto Christ Crucified

31 From Chevetogne Abbey toAachen CathedralwILL LYON TUPMANgoes on retreat

33 Hail Holy Queen!JOHN GAYFORDpraises Our Lady

39 Fan the Flame

content4 LEAD STORY

Placing Mary at the CentrePHILIP NORTHreminds us we live in Mary’s Dowry

The Society of Mary’s May Devotion(Photo Credit: Mike Still)

COVER

IMAGE

regulars

DIRECTORY 2, 37, 38EDITORIAL 20BISHOPS OF THE SOCIETY 39

Congratulations to Fr Luke Irvine-Capel on becomingArchdeacon of Chichester

June 2019 ■ newdirections ■ 3

Articles are published in New Directions because they are thought likely to be of interest to read-ers. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or those of Forward in Faith.

What on earth just happened? What have we justdone? Before we answer we need to say an enor-mous thank you to the Dean of Westminster and

his colleagues who have thrown this extraordinary place opento us pilgrims, united by our deep love for Mary under her titleOur Lady of Walsingham. What a place to be, and what won-derful generosity that we should be here.

But what has that generosity enabled us to do? Into thisgreat abbey church—the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor,the burial site of kings, the place of coronations and regalpower—we have just carried a penniless peasant girl fromNazareth. Into this great symbol of our national life—the lo-cation for the spectacular events that define our nation, grandweddings, sombre memorials, huge state occasions—we havecarried a woman who in her own life knew only occupation,poverty and political oppression.

Into this place of breathtaking beauty, of astonishing artis-tic endeavour and enduring aesthetic excellence we have heldhigh a woman who knew only the hovels and shanty dwellingsof the agricultural labourer. Into the heart of Westminster—the place of political power and one currently riven with dead-lock, anger and intense soul-searching—we place a teenagegirl.

What have we just done? As the image of Our Lady ofWalsingham was carried into this abbey, we have placed Maryback at the heart of our nation. She sits now, proud and mag-nificent, in this abbey church which,with its history, its beauty, its lively con-temporary ministry, is the greatest sym-bol of England.

And we are not putting her here insome innovative or original act. No, weare putting her back, for this nation hasalways been Mary’s. Many of the mon-archs who lie here loved Our Lady,many of them indeed would have madethe pilgrimage to Walsingham that is sofamiliar to us. We don’t have to go backmany years to find this land litteredwith her shrines. Countless of its parishchurches and numerous of its cathe-drals are dedicated to her and to herglorious assumption.

Perhaps most dramatically, in 1381 in this very building,at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pew, King Richard II dedicatedEngland as the Dowry of Mary. This nation has already beengiven as a gift to the Virgin of Nazareth. Next year, the RomanCatholic community will offer an act of rededication. Todaywe do the same simply by bringing Mary here into this abbeyand so placing her back at the heart of the life of this nation.

But what does it mean to place Mary back at the heart ofour national life? This huge prophetic act that we have justwitnessed—what is it saying? It sets before our nation and herchurch three challenges.

First, as Mary stands here she challenges us to be a nationthat is holy to God. This nation has for centuries stood at theforefront of technological advances, it created the democraticsystems that have been imitated across half the world, it car-ried the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the globe. Yet alarm-ingly our national life is increasingly characterized not bypride, but by shame and embarrassment.

We seem to spend a great deal of time apologizing for ourcountry and the sins of her past. We mock and abuse our dem-ocratic institutions, and increasingly deride and pillory ourpoliticians. We expect our sportsmen and women to fail. Thecloak of despondency has fallen upon us. Taking pride in ournation seems deeply unfashionable, increasingly portrayed asthe remit of the extreme right.

Why? Because a post-Christian and deeply secular nationhas forgotten what it is. We have lost our purpose. What is our

nation for? Some might argue that thepurpose of this country is enduring pros-perity and the power that comes with it.But how tedious is that? Whilst a lack ofwealth might render life miserable, a sur-feit of it will never bring fulfilment.

Others might answer the questionwith a set of British values such that yousee plastered over the walls of schoolclassrooms: believe in yourself, respectother people, be nice, and so on. But val-ues have no power to transform whenthey are not rooted in a compelling nar-rative. What is our nation for? We can nolonger answer that question and so wesink into soul-searching and gloomy in-trospection.

Lead Story

Placing Mary at the CentrePhilip North reminds us of Mary’s claim to our nation

Taking pride in our nation seems deeply unfashionable, increasingly portrayed as theremit of the extreme right. why? Because a

post-Christian and deeply secular nation hasforgotten what it is.

In Christ we see that this is a nation that isholy to God. This is a land set apart to his

glory and for the building up of his kingdomof peace.


Today Mary gives us the answer.For as we place her in this place, shepoints us to her child who is still incar-nate in his Church and who, throughthe lives of those who follow him—ourlives—claims this land as his own.Only in relationship with him doeshuman life find its purpose and its goal.

In him we see that this is a nationthat is holy to God. This is a land setapart to his glory and for the buildingup of his kingdom of peace. ‘I will notcease from mental fight, nor shall mysword sleep in my hand till we havebuilt Jerusalem in England’s green andpleasant land.’ As we Christians re-claim England for Jesus Christ, so wereclaim it for itself. As we place Maryin this abbey church, we claim our na-tion as one holy to God.

Secondly, as we place Mary in this place, she challenges usto be a nation that loves justice. Because a nation that trulyloves Mary can never abandon its poor. It is no surprise that anation that is moving away from the Gospel is also one of ever-growing social inequality. Whilst the wealth of this vast cityand of other large cosmopolitan areas grows exponentially, in-creasing numbers of people are left behind. The northerntowns from which so many of our pilgrims to Walsingham aredrawn have been going backwards for decades, lives blightedby low paid work, a lack of aspiration and cuts in services. Inthis, the fifth largest economy in the world, 3.5 million chil-dren are being brought up in poverty, half a million are de-pendent on the soul-crashing indignity of the food bank.

In the face of this, usually we do nothing. Or sometimeswe leap to well-intentioned acts of volunteering, ‘doing thingsfor the poor’ which unwittingly keep them in poverty. Foodbanks may be necessary, but they also create a culture of de-pendency which prevents people from taking control of theirown lives.

Today, to this nation and from this place, Mary sings herprophetic song of justice. ‘He has put down the mighty fromtheir thrones and has exalted the humble and meek.’ Marychallenges us to build a nation of justice, one where the poorare not just served but are empowered, one where structuresaren’t just tinkered with but are transformed.

And it can begin with us. On many of our outer estates,the church is all that is left and many of those churches are inthe catholic tradition. That gives us authority to sing Mary’ssong of justice. We sing that song as we raise up new leadersand discern vocations from our urban areas, setting crushedpeople free to use their gifts as God intends. We sing that songas we build up and support family life, helping the young to

understand that they are held in thearms of Jesus. We sing that song as weact as the conscience of a nation,pointing out injustice and meetinghuman need. As we place her in thisgreat abbey church, Mary challengesus to be a nation that loves justice.

And thirdly, as we place Mary inthis place, she challenges us to be a na-tion that does what he tells us. At thewedding in Cana, in the midst of a cri-sis, Mary simply points to her son andinvites the servants to attend to him.So today, as we place Mary in a West-minster rocked by uncertainty andfrustration, in the midst of a nationcaught up in soul-searching, in achurch locked in futile introspection,she points us all to Jesus and says: ‘dowhatever he tells you.’

And what does Jesus say? Not words. Just wine. A banquetwithout measure. The outrageous abundance of the kingdom.The limitless joy of life in him. A way of being human that ourtime-bound minds can barely conceive because it is eternity.As we place Mary here, we commit our lives anew to offeringthat great gift—the gift of Jesus himself—to this nation. OurGod-given task is to invite the people of our land to meet Jesus,to meet him above all in the Eucharist. We cannot avoid thattask just because it is hard. We cannot let domestic issueswithin the church, however pressing they may seem, distractus. We cannot allow the lazy universalism that has taken holdof so many parts of our church infect us. We must go on callingpeople back to life in Jesus. We must speak the words of lifethat alone can set souls free.

Sharing this good news is not an optional extra. It is notfor the gifted few or the priests or those who are into that kindof thing. It is impossible to honour Mary without sharing withthe world the life of her son. To make devotion to God’smother a private discipline is utter hypocrisy. If your love forMary is authentic, it can only explode outwards in proclama-tion of her child. As we place Mary here, we challenge a nationto do what her child tells us.

So what have we just done? Today, as we place Mary inthis great abbey church, we claim this great nation for JesusChrist. Today we claim this nation for Christ. Never forget theprophetic power of what you have done today. Let this daychange your life and fill your heart with power from on high.Starting in your own homes and in your churches, go and builda nation that is holy to God. Build a nation that loves justice.Build a nation that does whatever he tells us. For today wehave placed Mary back at our nation’s heart. And Mary haspointed us to her son. And for him, for Jesus, we claim this na-tion today. Amen.

The Rt Revd Philip North is the Bishop of Burnley. This homily waspreached at Westminster Abbey for the Walsingham Festival on 4May 2019.


As we place Mary here, we commit our livesanew to offering that great gift—the gift of

Jesus himself—to this nation.

ND


‘Greater in honour thanthe cherubim, and glo-rious incomparably

more than the seraphim; thou whoinviolate didst bring forth God theWord, and art indeed the Motherof God: thee do we magnify’

John Tavener’s setting of theOrthodox antiphon interpolatedinto the Anglican Magnificat cov-ered the catholic rite of censing thecoronation altar by the Dean atsolemn Evensong, concluding amemorable day of devotion inWestminster Abbey. Before thataltar, on the Cosmati pavementwhere monarchs are crowned,stood the statue of Our Lady,Queen and Mother, carried fromEngland’s Nazareth at Walsing-ham. The gentle tone of Tavener’schant setting was an unarguablestatement about Mary that cap-tured the spirit of an ecumenical day of devotion, in which theWalsingham shrines collaborated with Westminster Abbeyhosting a day of celebration in Mary’s month of May.

As a Priest Associate of the Holy House at Walsingham, Iam committed, with two thousand other clergy and hundredsof thousands of laity, ‘to further, with the aid of Our Lady’sprayers, the conversion of the nations and the reunion ofChristendom.’ There are some days when you feel things aremoving forward on this and 4 May 2019 was such a day. Tosee over the head of Mary’s effigy brought into the Abbeysanctuary the words inscribed over the high altar from Reve-lation—‘The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdomof our Lord and of his Christ’—was deeply moving. They werefor a day not just aspiration, but touched on reality there andthen as hundreds of people did business with God, bringingthe nation on their hearts.

Bishop Philip North spoke of it being the day we placedMary back at the heart of our nation through the Abbey’s hos-pitality. In his address we were reminded of how King RichardII made England Our Lady’s Dowry, the origin of the revivedSociety of Our Lady of Pew to which I belong at the Abbey.To bring Mary from England’s Nazareth to stand in a West-minster rocked by political uncertainties and at the heart of a

church hesitant to evangelize was acountercultural breath of the Spirit.Devotion to Christ’s Mother isnothing private, the bishop re-minded us. It explodes outwards inpresenting her son countering the‘lazy universalism’ in the churchtoday, promoting holiness, justiceand openness to do what God re-quires of us.

To mark a historic occasion,Cambridge history professorEamon Duffy spoke in the after-noon on ‘Walsingham: from ruin torestoration.’ It was a graphic, amus-ing talk moving through the origin,ruination and restoration of Eng-land’s Nazareth in Norfolk. As onefamiliar with Fr Wagner’s legacy inBrighton and Buxted, I appreciatedDuffy’s picture of the charismaticyet controversial Fr Hope Pattenwho moved north from Sussex to

restore the shrine. His curate, Fr Scott James, went over to theRoman Catholics, setting up a rival shrine; another charis-matic who preached with a Siamese cat on his shoulders!Duffy chronicled how the shrines moved closer over the yearsleading to the 2018 ecumenical covenant. ‘The door of theHoly House opened by Richeldis remains open’ he concluded,reflecting the open heart of God and his home at Nazareth.That statement was repeated by Archbishop Rino Fisichellafrom the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in hisevensong sermon ‘The house of Mary is open to all who in thedepth of their hearts see the need to seek Jesus.’

Westminster Abbey can feel like a shrine to self-impor-tance with so many epitaphs, but the abbey’s inclusive yet dis-tinctive Christian worship runs counter to this in affirmingGod as the one in whom we find significance. As Bishop Rinosaid: ‘We can hide nothing from the sacred face’ whose ener-gising gaze is on us. ‘The Lord is a God who knows all, wholifts the poor... we love and know we’re loved in Mary’s House...we feel part of something greater than us that doesn’t oppressus.’ The towering greatness of the Abbey was made light andspacious that day by the sense of God’s presence in Mary onthe coronation pavement and the un-selfconscious devotionof the crowd of which I was a part. As a brother priest said aspeople flocked to the ‘carousel’ of devotions: ‘To see so manydoing individual business with God in a church is hopeful andheartwarming.’

Fr John Twisleton is a Priest Associate of the Holy House at Walsingham.

Greater than the Cherubim!John Twisleton reflects on the Walsingham Festival in Westminster Abbey

The towering greatness of the Abbey wasmade light and spacious that day by thesense of God’s presence in Mary on the

coronation pavement.

ND


Ordinations to the Diaconate, 2019Title

Gary Gould Norwich Cathedral 29 June: 10.00 Hempton and Pudding Norton; Walsingham,Houghton and the Barshams

Angus Beattie St Andrew, Holborn 29 June: 11.00 St Mary, South RuislipWilliam Hamilton-Box St Andrew, Holborn 29 June: 11.00 St Luke, Uxbridge RoadAlan Rimmer St Andrew, Holborn 29 June: 11.00 St Mary, TottenhamMichael Still St Andrew, Holborn 29 June: 11.00 St Mary the Virgin, KentonYaroslav Walker St Andrew, Holborn 29 June: 11.00 St Martin of Tours, RuislipJason Lawrence Hewitt Wakefield Cathedral 29 June: 11.00 St Mary the Virgin, Barnsley with St Paul’s,

St George’s, St Edward’s and St Thomas’Dominik Chmielewski Chichester Cathedral 29 June: 15.00 St Nicholas, ArundelThomas Crowley Chichester Cathedral 29 June: 15.00 St Saviour, EastbourneThomas Fink-Jensen Chichester Cathedral 29 June: 15.00 St Michael and All Angels, LancingJamie Franklin St George in the Meadows, 30 June: 16.00 St George in the Meadows, Nottingham

Nottingham

All in a day’s workPolice Chaplain Fr Paul Cartwright meets Sir Rod Stewart

Sir Rod Stewart met up with Father Paul Cartwright,deputy lead chaplain for West Yorkshire Police and amember of West Yorkshire Police Fanfare team, during

a charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall.Former police officer Fr Paul, of St Peter the Apostle &

St John the Baptist, Barnsley, played alongside the British Po-lice Symphony Orchestra and mass police choirs from aroundthe country. He and the Fanfare team are pictured outside thefamous concert hall.

The concert was hosted by TV presenter Nick Knowlesand also had appearances from Finn the police dog who re-cently appeared on Britain’s Got Talent, after surviving a vis-cous knife attack, and who has helped to change legislation forwhen Police working animals are attacked.

Pictured with the legendary singer, Canon Paulsaid: “During my time with the police band I’ve been involvedin events which have ranged from playing in New York at the5th and 10th anniversaries of 9/11 to visiting Ypres annuallyfor Remembrance Day and playing at the 70th anniversary ofthe D-Day landings, where I was called upon to dedicate a newmemorial to those involved.

“That said, Saturday’s engagement ranks amongst themost memorable events in my playing career.”

Canon Paul said police chaplaincy in West Yorkshire Po-lice is a voluntary role and is provided for people of all faithsand people of none.

He urged anyone interested to get in touch with the serv-ice at WYP.

“Chaplains do not need to be ordained, but they do needthe support of their church,” he added. “We provide welfare

support to Police employees and their families and a numberof us have recently received training from LEEDS MIND tobecome Mental Health peer supporters, something which isat the front of our minds during this Mental Health Aware-ness Week.”


Praying for the religious lifeNicolas Stebbing CR suggests a way to help our religious communities

Religious communities in England are much smallerthan they were years ago. When I first met the Com-munity of the Resurrection in 1965, there were more

than 80 brothers. Now there are 13. That is a catastrophic de-cline, yet it is typical of most Anglican orders, many of whichhave ceased to exist, and of most Catholic orders, too, in theWest. There are all kinds of sociological and religious reasonsthat explain this. Can it also be that God is using this time toprune the religious life in order to cut off dead wood that newlife will grow? We are trying to do something about this in var-ious ways, to make people aware of the religious life so thatsome will consider joining it. However, we believe the most ef-fective way to do this is by prayer. We need to ask God to makeus, and other communities, fit places to receive and keep youngmen and women. We need to ask God to inspire people tocome and join us and to give them the courage to embrace thisvery different way of life. I believe this will make a really bigdifference to our future, and that of other religious commu-nities. God listens to your prayers and he answers them when-ever he can. We never really know this, but we believe it is true.

St Benedict writes in his Rule:

‘Seeking his workman in a multitude of people, the Lordcalls out to him and lifts his voice: “Is there anyone herewho yearns for life and desires to see good days?” (Ps 34)… What dear brothers is more delightful than this voiceof the Lord calling to us?’ (Prologue, 14, 15, 19).

That is what brought each one of us into the religious life. Indifferent ways, we heard this voice calling and followed it. Itwas exciting; it promised good things. It warned us life wouldsometimes be hard, the call was a costly one to follow, but itwould be worth it. We would be walking with Christ; wewould be doing really good things for God; we would be ex-ploring God’s love for us and learning to love Him.

That is still the call God is offering, but we get tired, cyn-ical, bored or disillusioned. Before we can even speak to youngpeople about joining us we need to make sure we still hear thatcall and can reflect it to others; that we can receive others whoare following that call and help them to stay faithful to it. It iswe who need to be changed, and we who need to pray forchange in ourselves.

So please pray:

1. For courage and honesty as we look at ourselves and seewhere change needs to come ‘that Christ may be formed inus.’

2. That God may work in us for “we are his workmanship, cre-ated in Christ Jesus for good works.” Pray that we will co-operate with God and not resist Him.

3. That we may let the Spirit freely work in our lives: ‘Thewind (or spirit) blows where it pleases… but you do notknow whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every-one who is born of the Spirit.’ .

4. That we will allow ourselves to be ‘born from above’ in thatlong slow process which takes place throughout our lives.

5. For those of us in the Benedictine tradition—particularlyour related communities at St Matthias, Trier, and theMonastery of Christ the Word, Zimbabwe. Also for Sisters’communities to whom we are close: the Order of the HolyParaclete, the Stanbrook Abbey sisters, The Holy Crosscommunity at Costock and the sisters at West Malling; thatthe call to ‘yearn for life’ will come to us again. ‘Consideryour call, brethren…’

6. That we may turn away from the ‘comfortable mediocrity’that is the curse of all religious life. Revelation’s warning tothe Laodiceans is one we all need to take seriously: ‘Becauseyou are lukewarm… I will spit you out of my mouth.’

7. That we may hear God calling us in the current crisis in theenvironment and understand how it may be a positive forcefor reimagining our commitment to the God who createdthis world: ‘We know that the whole creation has beengroaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the presenttime.’

8. For the Community of the Resurrection: that we will havethe grace to examine ourselves, see what God is asking of usand have the courage to respond.

9. For the religious life in the Anglican Communion: that wemay be guided by the Holy Spirit in the paths of wisdomand truth to rediscover the call that brought us into the life,and to offer it to others.

10. For those young women and men whom God is calling intothe religious life in one of its forms: that they may recognizetheir call and have the courage to answer it.

11. For each of us in the religious life: that we will allow ‘Christto be formed in us’ in the manner Christ wants.

12. For the monks and nuns, brothers and sisters in the RomanCatholic Church: that they, too, will discover the new lifeGod is offering them.

13. For all who support our communities with work, prayeror money: that together we will learn to serve Christ wholoves us and wants to help us grow in the Father’s love.

Father Nicolas Stebbing is a brother of the Community of the Res-urrection. More details about this Prayer Apostolate can be foundon the Community website www.mirfield.org.uk

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News from Forward in FaithElections OfficersNext year will see elections to the General Synod, and plan-ning for our election campaign is underway. Ensuring that weare well represented by a strong Catholic Group in GeneralSynod is essential. Elsewhere in this issue we are advertisingfor part-time Elections Officers for the Beverley Electoral Area(the Province of York) and the Ebbsfleet Area (the westernhalf of the Province of Canterbury) to work from October2019 with the Co-ordinating Elections Officer, Anne Gray, inorganizing the campaign.Further details of the postsare available from the Direc-tor (email: colin. [email protected]). Pleasethink of peole who might besuitable for this work and en-courage them to be in touch.

The DirectorThe 2019 National Assemblywill be Colin Podmore’s last:he will be retiring in Februaryafter seven years as Director.The post is advertised else-where in this issue. Pleasepray for the Chairman andother members of the Execu-tive Committee as they pre-pare to appoint a newDirector.

National AssemblyThis year’s National Assembly will be held at the Church ofSt Alban the Martyr, Holborn, on Saturday 16 November, be-ginning with Mass at 10.30 am and concluding with Benedic-tion at 4.30 pm. Mailings will go out in September to membersof the Assembly and to parishes that are entitled to be repre-sented. In addition to the Assembly members, other membersof Forward in Faith are very welcome to attend as observers.Please put the date in your diary now.

News from the Society

Ordinations to the Priesthood by Bishops of The Society, 2019

Ian Edgar Bishop of Chichester St Andrew, West Tarring 15 June: 14.30

Květoslav Tomaš Krejčí Bishop of Ebbsfleet St Giles, Reading 29 June: 18.00

Michael Vyse Bishop of Beverley St George in the Meadows, Nottingham 30 June: 16.00

Joshua Bell Bishop of Richborough All Saints, Kings Lynn 30 June: 18.30

James White Bishop of Fulham St Andrew, Holborn 1 July: 19.30

Jeremy Lind Bishop of Richborough St Mary the Virgin, Newmarket 10 July: 19.00

Blair Radford Bishop of Wakefield St Paul, Monk Bretton 13 July: 15.00

Singing Mary’s praises through the streets of Kentish Town

No one is entirely sure of the dates of Jesus Christ’slife on earth. Some scholars estimate him to havebeen born around 4BC, though that is just an in-

formed guess. Jesus’ crucifixion has long been believed to havebeen in 33AD. This, again, is an intelligent guess and, in theabsence of any clearer information, it is as good as we are goingto get.

This means that Easter Day on 17 April 2033 will be seenby many as the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s resurrection.Working backwards, the year 2030 may be seen as the 2000thanniversary of Jesus being baptised in the river Jordan and be-ginning his three years of public ministry of healing, preachingand teaching, ending with his crucifixion and resurrection.

I believe that these anniversaries potentially provide uswith a very rich opportunity for renewal, mission and witness.I would like to float the idea that the Church of Englandshould mark the 2000th anniversary of Jesus’ public ministrywith a special programme of events, held across all parishesnationwide. I envisage a combination of a preaching missionand a multi-facetted celebration of the Gospel, reaching itsculmination on Easter Day 2033.

One of the first things Jesus did after his baptism was togo out into the wilderness to pray. In the first year, 2030, wemight therefore focus on prayer. My suggestion would be thatin every English cathedral and parish church, an hour of silentprayer is held once a week throughout 2030. Friday—the dayof the crucifixion—suggests itself as particularly suitable, butother days might be appropriate. Details and locations couldbe displayed on diocesan websites. Nor need the hour of silentprayer depend upon the vicar. In country parishes where theclergy are spread thinly, churchwardens or other parishionersmight unlock the church, turn on the heating, lead the singingof hymns at the beginning and at the end of the hour, and per-haps provide coffee afterwards. Some people could pray for thewhole hour, and other just slip in for a while. What, one won-ders, would be the effect of so many Christians spending anhour with Jesus, and waiting quietly upon the Holy Spirit?

In the years 2031 to 2033, a rolling and imaginative pro-gramme of events might be organized. It would be especiallyfitting if we focused on the Gospel texts. This could be donein several ways: academic conferences might be sponsored,new materials provided for use in parishes, and special re-sources commissioned for use with children and young people.Churches could be encouraged to try healing or penitentialservices, quiet days and retreats. Some people will go on pil-

grimages to the Holy Land in these anniversary years. Otherswill visit holy places in this country, such as Walsingham orHaddington.

In his three years of public ministry, Jesus spent muchtime amongst the sick and marginalized. It would be good inthese anniversary years if parishes and individuals could findnew ways of reaching out with the love of Jesus to those whoselives are hard or troubled. I have recently been fundraising fora soup kitchen for the homeless, and perhaps churches mightfind similar ways of helping the growing numbers of homelessand other vulnerable people in our communities. Othersmight visit care homes, or assist people with mobility or eye-sight problems. We should remind ourselves that Jesus Christis to be encountered not just in his Blessed Sacrament or inHoly Scripture, but also in all who are suffering or unhappy.Conversely, for some people our faces may be the only Biblethey ever read.

The three years 2030–2033 could provide a valuable op-portunity for Christians to stir up the gifts that are inside us.I should like to see the composition of special new music, art,drama, dance, and writing. Again, this might vary acrossparishes. Some churches could try putting together a littlechoir to sing Evensong once a month, followed by a cup of tea(or even a glass of wine). Other churches might hold local artshows, or commission new works such as a frontal or stainedglass window. Even small parishes might commission a silverpaten or make a banner.

On Easter Day 2033 I would suggest that Christianseverywhere could be invited to say a prayer of recommitment:

‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, thank you for dying on theCross for my sins on Good Friday and rising from the deadthree days later in the Resurrection. I commit myselfafresh to love God with all my heart, soul, mind andstrength, and to love my neighbour as myself. Amen.

Alleluia!’


Christianity 2000Robert Beaken sets out a plan for commemorating the anniversary of Jesus’ ministry

The Church of England should mark the2000th anniversary of Jesus’ public ministry

with a special programme of events, heldacross all parishes nationwide.

Imagine the impact of people across the country, including thearchbishop and the monarch, congregations in great cathedralsand parish churches, people at home or at work, all saying sucha prayer on the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s Resurrection.The prayer might be shared with the Churches of the AnglicanCommunion, and with other denominations.

We should, however, have clear objectives for the years2030–2033. I suggest that we might aim first to renew anddeepen the faith of already existing Christians, secondly to at-tract in those who are on the fringes of church life, and thirdlyto reach out with the Gospel to those who know little of thelove of Jesus Christ. We should also need to manage expecta-tions. Three years of special celebrations will not bring aboutthe manifestation of the Kingdom of God upon earth. All the

same problems will still be there afterwards. During our spe-cial celebrations, some people will stress individual repentanceand conversion, whilst others will emphasize the Christian-ization of society. Some folk will doubtless seek to advancetheir own agendas. There will be grumbling about anythingnew. I think we can bear all of this.

Our primary purpose by the time we reach the 2000th an-niversary of Christ’s resurrection at Easter 2033 would be toenthuse and raise the whole level of our Christian life, and tocast widely seeds of faith. The Holy Spirit will decide whenand how the seeds germinate, and the results may not alwaysbe what we expect. 2030 is only eleven years away, and we needto start praying, thinking and planning now.

Let me advance my suggestion by stating the opposite. Letus imagine that we ignored the 2000th anniversary of Christ’spublic ministry, death and resurrection. Might we not feel af-terwards that we had missed a valuable opportunity, and per-haps had not served Jesus as best we could?

The Revd Dr Robert Beaken is priest-in-charge of Great and LittleBardfield in Essex. This article first appeared in the Church ofEngland Newspaper.


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Jesus has enabled us to come to theFather, to live under his loving care asbrothers and sisters always anticipat-ing that a place is prepared for us inhis house. The ‘Our Father’ is theprayer that Jesus taught us and thecommunity of believers is in itsessence a family. It was quite shock-ing to become aware of the wholesalerejection of the fatherhood of God inthe wider church. In fact it is hereticaland therefore dangerous to the life ofthe soul.

A few examples I have come acrosswill serve to illustrate this perniciousfashion. ‘The wee worship book’ ofthe Iona Community has several ver-sions of morning and evening prayer:not one contains the Lord’s Prayer. In‘Roots,’ the Churches Together re-source for teaching and worship forfamilies, in two editions of the maga-zine I counted twenty-seven alterna-tives to addressing God as Father. Godis addressed as ‘God of energy andpurpose,’ ‘God our Guide,’ ‘AmazingGod,’ and in my reading of the variousoutlines for worship sessions, I cameacross only three mentions of God asFather.

There has to be a point when suchprayer and worship ceases to be Chris-

tian in any orthodox sense. Orthodox,remember, has two meanings: theright way and the true glory. Ortho-doxy is not an option: it is a matter ofspiritual life and death. The spiritual-ity industry is shot through with guid-ance that it neither true, right norglorious. As is the case with manyheresies, the fatherless faith appearsreasonable and attractive; it is meantto be accessible and sensitive to thosewho daily experience is fatherless orwhose experience of a father is not ahappy or healthy one. Heresy by itsvery definition is a wrong choice. Aspiritual director has a clear respon-sibility to point out both the error andthe danger of taking it.

In the light of this growing rejec-tion or avoidance of the fatherhood

of God it is important to contemplateafresh the means of grace that is theLord’s Prayer. It not only distils divineteaching, it brings the one who praysin the communion of the Father andthe Son. Its petitions cover everyhuman need and bring the one whoprays into a dynamic relationship ofpenitence and praise with God the Fa-ther. It has a profound simplicity thatcan be grasped by any person of anyage in any place at any time. Eachword is a doorway into contempla-tion. It is the framework for Christianliving. How could we live without it?

In four decades of ministry, I canhonestly say I have never come acrossanyone who said ‘I cannot think ofGod as Father as my own experienceof my father was so painful and dam-aging.’ I have, however, known sev-eral people who found great comfortand strength in having a ‘Heavenly Fa-ther’ who knew their needs and whooffered a loving invitation to dwell inand with him. Let us renew our devo-tion to Our Father and pray the Lord’sPrayer with all our heart, with all ourmind, with all our soul and with allour strength. Then we shall travel theright path to the true glory.

GhostlyCounsel

Come to the Father

Andy Hawes

Our primary purpose by the time we reach the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s resurrection at Easter 2033 would be to enthuse and raise the whole level of our

Christian life.


A work for UnityGabriella Masturzo explains Benedictine work for unity

About 50 miles north of Rome, near the small medievaltown of Vitorchiano, is the first Trappist convent inItaly, founded originally in 1875 in Turin, and trans-

ferred to Grottaferrata near Rome in 1898, moving to thepresent site in 1957.

The abbey, surrounded by about 75 acres of land, is self-supporting, producing wine and oil, jam and greetings cards,and produce of the vegetable garden and orchards. There areat this moment 80 sisters, ranging in age from 24 to 85. Loveof the young and respect for the old, prescribed by St Benedictin his Rule, is something we live out with care. All of the com-munity, in one way or another, is involved both in formationof the young sisters and care of the old, and we lay great storeby dialogue together, as well as in generation-groups.

The sisters follow the Rule of St Benedict, according to theCistercian and Trappist tradition: two reforms that over thecenturies have renewed the Benedictine charism, emphasizingcontemplation and separation from the world, liturgicalprayer, life together and manual work. At the heart of the Cis-tercian vocation is a life of conversion to the Lord, in daily ex-perience, prayer, work, and human relationships, and in theeffort to live according to the gospel. It is about learning to lis-ten to the Word of the Lord and of the Church in liturgicaland personal prayer, in lectio, in silence, in dialogue. It involvespersonal openness and a common life in obedience to the au-thority of the abbot, in reciprocity amongst the sisters/broth-ers, and in stability in the monastery.

The Second Vatican Council was received and deeply em-braced thanks to the wisdom of the then abbess, Mother Cris-tiana Piccardo, prompting new thinking on the ecclesialidentity of our community. We did a lot of work on the liturgy,both staying faithful to the tradition and in enriching it bysinging the Psalms in the vernacular, and with new hymns, andencouraging greater participation and unity in prayer. Follow-ing what has been called an ecclesiology of communion, wehave discovered a greater simplicity of life together and of re-lationships. By putting an emphasis on personal responsibility,we have found greater commitment to the work that supportsour life, which in turn builds up collaboration.

We have an abundant flow of vocations, leading to manynew foundations: the first one in 1968 at Valserena near Pisa,and then in Argentina (1973), Chile (1981), Venezuela(1982), Indonesia (1987), the Philippines (1995), the Czech

Republic (2007) and soon a new house in Portugal. These inturn have made their own foundations in Syria, Angola,Nicaragua, Brazil, and Macao.

One grace we have received is an ecumenical vocation thatgoes back in time to the witness of our sister Blessed MariaGabriella Sagheddu (1914–1939), who gave her life for Chris-tian unity. The ecumenical ideal already animated the com-munity when it was at Grottaferrata, under Abbess PiaGullini. In 1933, a young French woman, Henriette Ferrary,visited the community and told Mother Pia of her commit-ment to conversion and prayer for Christian unity, followingthe work begun in Lyon by Abbé Paul Couturier. Mother Piatook this up and shared it with the sisters. There then beganan exchange of letters between Couturier and ourselves, andin 1937 we made a commitment to prayer for unity, especiallyduring the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. An elderly sis-ter, Maria dell’Immacolata, offered her life in prayer for unity,and Couturier would later remember her in his ‘list of martyrsfor unity’, together with the Blessed Maria Gabriella we havealready mentioned, and a Japanese Trappist brother. SisterMaria Gabriella, in unity week 1938, asked to offer her life tooas a prayer for unity, and the Lord accepted it. Then, only 18months later, in April 1939, on Good Shepherd Sunday, shedied of tuberculosis.

In 1938–39, a correspondence began with NashdomAbbey, via Père Couturier, who had had a close relationshipwith Nashdom since 1935, when the then Abbot Martin Col-lett, the novice Guardian Benedict Ley, and Fr Gregory Dix,had taken part in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity inLyon. The first letter from Nashdom arrived at Grottaferrata(our then home) on 15 July 1938, on the occasion of the deathof the aged sister Maria dell’Immacolata, who had offered herlife for the cause of unity. There followed a long correspon-dence between the two communities, one letter thanking Sis-ter Gabriella herself for her offering for the cause of unity. Sothere grew up a collaboration between the two abbeys, Angli-can and Roman Catholic, with the desire to make knownamong Anglican communities the life and offering of theBlessed Gabriella.

The Second World War saw the Nashdom monks trans-ferred temporarily to Middlesex, turning their home over toBenedictine sisters from London who cared for the handi-capped. This did not get in the way of the relationship whichbound the two communities more and more together in thecause of unity, showing how monastic life and Christianity cantriumph over separation caused by conflicts of nations.

On 16 March 1947, Fr Ley announced he was coming toItaly to make the personal acquaintance of mother Pia, to visitRome, and possibly meet the Holy Father. Accompanied byan oblate, Brother Francis de Sales, he arrived in Rome on 18September 1947. On 22 September, he met Mgr GiovanniBattista Montini, Under-Secretary of the Vatican Secretariat,

So there grew up a collaboration betweenthe two abbeys, Anglican and Roman

Catholic, with the desire to make knownamong Anglican communities the life and

offering of the Blessed Gabriella.

departing with a promise of a report on the Anglican Churchto contribute to mutual acquaintance. On 25 September theymet Pope Pius XII.

On returning to England, Fr Benedict continued promot-ing contacts between women’s communities in the Church ofEngland and our own convent, and he never ceased from re-ferring on every occasion, public and private, to the meetingsin Rome and the convent, and between 1948 and 1951 morethan fifty Anglican religious came to visit us.

Père Couturier was glad of the relationship between Nash-dom and Grottaferrata and he invited other communities too,including those less open to the Church of Rome, to have con-versations with the Holy See in order to carry forward the di-alogue that had been begun. Maurice Villain, Couturier’sbiographer, says the first to respond was a theologian from theCommunity of the Resurrection, Fr Geoffrey Curtis, who wasa cousin of Fr Benedict Ley. Fr Curtis brought an importantand practical energy to the relations between the Anglicanworld and the Holy See, supported by Mgr Montini, who hadnow become Pope Paul VI.

When Mother Pia stood down and transferred to anabbey in Switzerland, the correspondence with Fr BenedictLey and Nashdom was continued by Sister Fara, who had beeninvolved with the Anglican brothers from the beginning. Fr

Benedict died in 1964, but there were other important meet-ings, with Dom Augustine Morris and Abbot Wilfrid Weston.The latter was present in Rome when Blessed Gabriella’s self-sacrifice was recognized, and, after a visit to Vitorchiano in1981, took part in her beatification in St Paul-Outside-The-Walls in 1983. The last visit of a Nashdom Abbot, Dom BasilMatthews, was in 1988, but we keep up correspondence andcommunion in prayer.

Now our communion with the Anglican Benedictineworld lives above all in the friendship with the Community ofthe Resurrection, Mirfield, born out of meetings with FrGeorge and Fr Oswin, and other brothers who have come here,and we now have an agreement to be united each month inour offering of the Eucharist for Christian Unity, coordinatingdates so that we celebrate together on the same day.

Sister Gabriella Masturzo OCSO is a sister at the Trappist Conventof Vitorchiano. In 2016, the Community of the Resurrection begana friendship with the sisters of the convent. There have now beenseveral visits, and we have discovered in them a relationship withAnglican religious communities that goes back a long way.

For the remainder of 2019, unity masses celebrated at Mirfield andVitorchiano will be on the following dates:

• 25 June• 17 July• 16 August• 24 September • 25 October• 27 November


ND

Our communion with the Anglican Benedictine world lives above all in thefriendship with the Community of the

Resurrection, Mirfield.

Launching the Fan the Flame Mission at St Augustine, Belvedere

It was near the end of Easter Day, the first Easter Day. Ac-cording to Luke (Chapter 24), two disciples of Jesus wereon their way to Emmaus, about eleven kilometres north-

west of Jerusalem. But their walk had become a trudge. Thebottom had fallen out of their world. Jesus of Nazareth, inwhom they had placed their hope for a new and better world,had been killed by the authorities. He had such promise. ‘Hecould have called ten thousand angels…’ as the old gospel songsays. How come he didn’t use his supernatural power to bringin God’s kingdom then and there? That was a question in theminds of many people.

It seems that these two had not been part of the inner cir-cle of disciples. Most likely they were among the hundredswho heard Jesus preach and believed in him, who knew himfrom a distance, from among the crowd. But there they were:downhearted, despondent and without hope. But they becameaware of someone else walking with them. Why didn’t theyknow it was Jesus? Commentators give all sorts of reasons. Ithink it was a combination of their grief, and the simple factthat they didn’t expect it to be him. They might never haveseen him up close, anyway.

But, isn’t that a picture of what happens to us? Hopes anddreams crumble, communities disintegrate, businesses gounder, people let us down, super funds lose their value, we geta serious illness, or we’re simply engulfed by an unexplainedtorpor. Things like these—and many others besides—triggerthe kind of depression and fear that can destroy us from theinside out.

How many times, when we feel like that, and our walk hasbecome a trudge, do we fail to recognize the presence of Jesuswith us? Because he does walk with you and me. Even whenwe don’t recognize him, he walks with us because he loves us.We call that ‘grace.’ He walks with you; he walks with me. Justas on that road to Emmaus, he draws near in a special waywhen our journey becomes a trudge. He is there in our darkestmoments.

Though they didn’t recognize him, Jesus managed to taketheir minds off themselves and how they felt. In fact, theirhearts began to change even before they realized who he was.We know that, because later on when they looked back on theexperience they said: ‘Did not our hearts burn within us whilehe talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scrip-tures?’ (Luke 24.32). There was something about his presenceas he taught them from the Old Testament: ‘beginning with

Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all thescriptures the things concerning himself.’ (Luke 24.27).

When they reached Emmaus, Jesus ‘made as if he wasgoing further.’ Do you understand what he did? Instead of im-posing himself on them he gave them the prerogative of saying‘yes’ or ‘no’ to what had begun happening in their lives. He doesthat to us! We can close ourselves off to what might become agreat adventure of faith, or we can—as people say—‘go withthe flow.’ That’s what they did. Even before they understoodexactly what was happening to them, ‘they constrained him,saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day isnow far spent.”’ (Luke 24.29). They invited him in.

You heard how the story ends. ‘Jesus went in to stay withthem. When he was at table with them, he took the bread andblessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes wereopened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of theirsight.’ (Luke 24.30–32). They rushed back into Jerusalem tofind the eleven, and ‘they told what had happened on the road,and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.’(Luke 24.35).

Do you see what this passage tells us about the risen Jesus,how he makes himself known to his people? First, he comesalongside us long before we recognize his presence, especiallywhen we are empty and defeated. He doesn’t stop walking withus just because we are finding it hard to believe.

Secondly, he opens up the scriptures to us. When we readthe scriptures or hear them expounded, we are not just gainingintellectual knowledge. The risen Jesus actually speaksthrough his Word. He speaks to our hearts, our spirits. It is asupernatural communion. His Word expands our vision, healsour souls, and gives us strength. Did you know that in our daythere is an unprecedented turning to the scriptures amongChristians of all backgrounds because, to use the language ofVatican II, we actually ‘encounter’ the risen Jesus in his Word?

Referring to a teaching of the fourth century St Ambrose,Vatican II says that ‘prayer should accompany the reading ofSacred Scripture, so that God and man may talk together; for“we speak to him when we pray; we hear him when we readthe divine sayings.”’ (Dei verbum 25).

When was the last time you blew the dust off your Bible,turned off the television, and just began reading, maybe in thePsalms, or one of the Gospels, or a letter of St Paul, all the whileasking the Lord to speak to you? Have you thought about fol-lowing a system (like ‘Bible Alive’) or using the weekday Massreadings for your regular time in God’s Word? If you startdoing that you will grow; you will be changed; your faith willbecome stronger; your heart will burn within you as you hear


How many times, when we feel that ourwalk has become a trudge, do we fail to recognize the presence of Jesus with us?Even when we don’t recognise him he

walks with us.

The Faith of EmmausDavid Chislett reflects on what we can learn on the way to Emmaus

That’s why I love Holy Communion. It’s not ‘just’ a symbol.

his voice.Thirdly, he is still known to us in the breaking of the bread.

High up over the main altar of St John’s, Horsham in the Dio-cese of Ballarat (the second parish I served as rector) is a beau-tiful stained glass window of Jesus celebrating the Eucharist atEmmaus. Every time I looked up at the altar of St John’s Iwould be reminded of this Mass at which Jesus was—literallyin his risen body—the actual celebrant. I would say to my peo-ple there that whenever we come to Mass we are not onlyjoined to the apostles in the upper room on the first MaundyThursday when Jesus gave us the Eucharist; we are also joinedto the Emmaus disciples at the end of Easter Sunday who hadthe amazing honour of being the congregation at the first Massof the resurrection.

Then the Lord ‘vanished out of their sight.’ What’s goingon here? Along with many scholars of this text I believe that

because Jesus had chosen the ‘breaking of the bread’ to be theplace where his risen tangible presence would be encounteredby his people, once the disciples recognized him there, he wasable to withdraw the extraordinary and special grace of his ‘ac-tual’ resurrection body.

There you have it. That’s why I love Holy Communion.It’s not ‘just’ a symbol. Jesus comes in all of his love and risenpower in the breaking of the bread—the Mass—to bless us, toheal us, and to fill us with his resurrection life.

I’ve got one more thing to say. Many scholars of scripturebelieve that the encounter of Jesus with these disciples is in-cluded by St Luke specifically to teach us about the Eucharist.That is, while this passage has its deeply personal application(upon which I dwelt earlier) it is, in fact, a pattern of the liturgyitself.

The references to the Word and the breaking of the breadhave to do with the life of the whole believing community,which is why Luke doesn’t omit to tell us that the disciples rushback to the apostles in Jerusalem. And to this day it issupremely as part of the apostolic community gathered for theproclamation of the Word and the breaking of the bread thatwe actually meet Jesus. Because of this passage of St Luke Ihave a special job to do tonight. If you are from a catholic back-ground I have to encourage you to become as much a ‘BibleChristian’ as any evangelical you might know, recognizing thatthe risen Jesus comes to us in his Word. No more sneering atpeople who love the scriptures, underline verses, or learn textsoff by heart!

And if you are from an evangelical background I have toencourage you to become as catholic as the Roman Catholicsand Orthodox, recognizing the real presence of Jesus in thebreaking of the bread. No more accusations of idolatry againstthose who would fall down in reverence before the presenceof Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In what is rapidly becominga post-Christian age, the Lord is calling us to be ‘evangelical

catholics’ and ‘catholic evangelicals.’ Again, it all comes to-gether in Vatican II’s Dei verbum, where we find this very im-portant statement: ‘The Church has always venerated thedivine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord,since, especially in the sacred liturgy, she unceasingly receivesand offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table bothof God’s word and of Christ’s body.’ (Dei verbum 22).

May you know and love the risen Jesus more and more;may your hearts burn within you as you hear him speaking toyou in his holy Word; and may you never fail to recognize thelove, the healing power, and the holiness of his presence in thebreaking of the bread.

Fr David Chislett is the vicar of All Saints, Benhilton.


ND

In what is rapidly becoming a post-Christianage, the Lord is calling us to be ‘evangelical

catholics’ and ‘catholic evangelicals’.

Letter to the EditorFrom Fr David Burrows

It seems that the inter-generational cultural war over whatconstitutes Tradition has reached the pages of New Direc-tions. Fr Alan Cooke raises some interesting points in hisletter in the May issue, responding to the feature on ‘TheYoung Tractarians’ the previous month. As a fellow old’un,I beg to differ with Fr Cooke, and am delighted to see a re-newed emphasis on the best of our Anglican Liturgical in-heritance, that is, the Prayer Book and English Missal, takingits place within the richness of the wider western tradition.

If the authors of the BCP and the Tridentine Rites weremistaken in claiming early Christian precedence for theirLiturgies, then so, we are coming to understand, are thosewho claim the same for our contemporary rites, whether theRoman Missal or sections of Common Worship. The searchfor the text of an ideal pure early Eucharistic rite ignoreslinguistic and geographical variations; and is as fruitless asthe search for a lost pure Gospel behind the Synoptics. Todescribe the BCP as lacking a coherent Eucharistic Prayernot only risks cutting off the Branch on which we have beensitting since 1549, but also creates an idealised, somewhatahistorical notion of what such a prayer should be, and ig-nores Augustinian and Thomist understandings of what ac-tually constitutes a Eucharistic Canon.

Many of us too have rediscovered the Prayer Book Of-fices, whether stretched into the Anglican Breviary, or en-riched in the form published by St Stephen’s House, to be arefreshing and solidly rooted approach to Daily Prayer, thatavoids the triviality, stale language and bewilderingly un-helpful range of options of more recent versions. While Isuspect the Prayer Book stream will remain a minority tra-dition alongside contemporary Rites for our constituency,nonetheless, to the question, ‘Is this really a help to CatholicChristians in the twenty-first Century?’, the answer, mostdefinitely, is Yes.

The Rev’d Canon David Burrows SSCRector of St Mary’s and All Saints, Elland

Received by e-mail


‘Laud, O Sion...’Michael Fisher offers reflections for Corpus Christi

Bryn Seion chapel stands at the lower end of the mainstreet in Pencoed, the town in south Wales close towhere my daughter and her family live. Bryn Seion—

the hill of Sion. Many non-conformist chapels carry the namesof holy places in the Old Testament, such as Bethel, Horeb andPenuel, places where the veil between heaven and earth wastemporarily suended, heaven broke through, and mankindwas given a glimpse of the glories that lie beyond our presentworld. None was more holy than ‘Bryn Seion,’ the holy hill onwhich Jerusalem was built, where the ark of the covenant fi-nally came to rest, a place first made holy by the priest-kingMelchizedek who welcomed the patriarch Abraham andblessed him: ‘Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth breadand wine, and he was the priest of the Most High God.’ (Gen14.18). But unlike the temple in Jerusalem, Bryn Seion chapelis no architectural gem. It’s a plain brick box with some stonecladding, and inside there are none of the familiar things thatmany of us may take for granted: no cross or crucifix, no can-dles, no statues, no stained glass. All there is by way of orna-ment is a Biblical text stencilled on the back wall:Sancteiddrwydd â weddai i’th dŷ, O Arglwydd, byth—words fromPsalm 93: ‘Holiness adorns your house, O Lord, for ever.’ Soeven in this plainest of buildings there is still the notion of sa-cred space, of a God who chooses to locate himself in buildingsset apart for worship.

But should we be so surprised? If we look into the originsof Methodism, that group of Oxford men who in the 1730sformed what was rather disparagingly nicknamed ‘e HolyClub,’ what do we find? Among their disciplined routine ofprayer and personal devotion that earned them the label‘Methodist’ there was greater reect for, and greater recourseto, the sacrament of Holy Communion, and they argued for aweekly celebration of the Eucharist in their parish churches ata time when the Church of England was in spiritual decline,and just four celebrations a year was about the norm. NeitherJohn nor Charles Wesley would have dreamed of dressing upin an alb, stole or chasuble, but their writings—and eeciallytheir hymns—reflect a view of the Eucharist which is unmis-takably a Catholic one:

‘With solemn faith we offer up.And spread before thy glorious eyesat only ground of all our hope,at all-sufficient sacrifice,

Which brings thy grace on sinners down,And perfects all our souls in one.’

So Charles Wesley wrote in the 1730s. e Roman-Catholiccatechism, wrien in the 1990s, puts it less poetically, but itexpresses prey much the same thing:

‘e sacrifice Christ offered once for all upon the Crossremains ever present. As oen as the Sacrifice of the Crossby which “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed” is cele-brated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carriedout.’

Regardless of the Wesleys’ good intentions, Methodism brokeaway from the church, and developed as a separate body. Amissionary task force it undoubtedly was amongst the urbanpoor of the rapidly-growing industrial towns, but the liturgyof the Eucharist was not central to the task, and one wondersif this may have been a factor in the movement’s subsequentfragmentation and decline.‘Do this in remembrance of me’ is apart of the mandatum from which Maundy ursday, takesits name, and I think it’s no coincidence that when theChurch—or any part of it—has obeyed this command by set-ting the Eucharist at the heart of its life and mission it hasflourished, and when it has neglected or ignored the commandto ‘do this’, it has sooner or later gone into decline.

Among their disciplined routine of prayerand personal devotion that earned them thelabel ‘Methodist’ there was greater respectfor, and greater recourse to, the sacrament

of Holy Communion.

I think it’s no coincidence that when theChurch—or any part of it—has obeyed this

command by setting the Eucharist at theheart of its life and mission it has

flourished.


If the Methodists lost sight ofthe liturgy, there is for catholic An-glicans the opposite danger of be-coming so engrossed in liturgicalchoreography and navel-gazingthat the other part of the Lord’smandatum—the foot-washing—gets overlooked. We do well to re-member that it was amongstEngland’s unchurched industrialmasses that the Anglo-Catholicmovement scored its most notablesuccesses: whether in the east endof London, the docklands ofPortsmouth, the coal-and-ironcommunities of the Black Country,or the bole-kilns of Stoke-on-Trent. So the altars of our parishchurches were restored and re-built, and the Eucharist becameonce more central to their life andtheir mission to take Christ into the homes of the poor,metaphorically washing their feet in his name. And that iswhat we, in the Anglican Catholic tradition, still have to offerto the world outside, where there is so much spiritual hunger,and where people are deerately seeking a dimension to theirlives which neither money, possessions, football nor CelebrityLove Island are able to provide because none of these thingshave the mark of permanence or eternity upon them. But thelamp burns before the tabernacle to signal the living presenceof Christ and his saving sacrifice on the cross, just as the lampsburned before the Holy of Holies on the hill of Sion in thosefar-off days of types and shadows. Here bread and wine arebrought forth, as they were by Melchizedek, priest-king ofJerusalem, but they are now invested with the assurance andpromise of Christ: ‘He who eats my flesh and drinks my bloodhas eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.’ osewho take part in outdoor processions at Corpus Christi do twothings: they witness to the faith by which they live, and theyfollow Christ as he leads them through the church doors andout into the communities they are called upon to serve.

e Eucharist was given for the building up of the church.It strengthens us in our bond with Christ, and with one an-other as members of his body on earth. It is also a great act ofmission and evangelism, bringing people—whether confirmedor not, and regardless of age or circumstance—to the veryheart of our faith as nothing else ever can; the saving death ofChrist, the memorial of all that he ever did, and seing beforethe eyes of God the only perfect offering, the sacrifice of Christupon the cross. Among those harrowing scenes of the recent

fire at Notre Dame cathedral, one in particular remains in mymind. Amongst all the devastation and chaos, two things stoodunmovable: the high altar and its great cross standing solid andfirm at the heart of it. ere’s a message there for all of us, isn’tthere?

In those darker moments of my own life, when I’m con-scious of having messed up, offended or neglected or mis-judged someone; when I have questioned the effectiveness ofmy ministry, or even what on earth I’m doing in the priesthoodat all; or been overwhelmed by things that are going on outthere which seem to deny all I say I believe in; it’s in thosedarker moments that I seem to hear a voice telling me, ‘seeyourself in the only context that makes sense.’ And I see myselfsimply as a priest at the altar: offering the bread of life and thecup of salvation, carrying out the Lord’s command—‘dothis...’—in the company of the faithful, and doing it as muchfor those who for whatever reason are not there as for thosewho are—for a lady anxiously awaiting cancer treatment, forthe couple I’m going to marry next Saturday, for a neighbourwhose wife has just died and for another who refused a Chris-tian funeral for a relative because he had ‘no time for such stuffand nonsense.’

Whenever we gather for Mass, be it amid the splendours ofone of the great churches of the Catholic Revival ‘with all thetrimmings’ or humbly and quietly at eight o’clock in a remotevillage church, we come to our ‘Bryn Seion’ where the veil be-tween this world and the heavenly one is temporarily sus-pended. As the Leer to the Hebrews puts it: ‘What you cometo is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenlyJerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for thefestival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a first-born son, and a citizen of heaven.’ (Heb. 12.22–23).

(Note: Bryn Seion chapel has recently been sold, convertedinto a private dwelling, and is currently on the market for£325,000!)

Michael Fisher writes on ecclesiological issues.

whenever we gather for Mass we come toour ‘Bryn Seion’ where the veil between thisworld and the heavenly one is temporarily

suspended.

ND


The first-past-the-post system used for elections to theHouse of Commons and to most of our councils nodoubt originated in a very simple approach: here is a

list of candidates, vote for the candidate of your choice, andthe candidate who receives the most votes will be the candi-date elected.

One beneficial consequence of this voting system is thetwo-party system: this does not mean that only two partiescan take part in elections, but that there tends to be a party ingovernment and a leading party in opposition that offers itselfas a potential party of government at a future election. At alocal level, those who wish to defeat a sitting member find iteasier to achieve their objective by concentrating their voteson one alternative candidate rather than scattering their votesamong many candidates. Similarly, at national level, it is easierto replace a governing party if there is one clear alternative,rather than a multiplicity of small parties, none of whichwould be likely to form a government on its own and couldonly be likely to form a government in a coalition as a resultof a post-election negotiation. In such a two-party system therole of third parties is to offer options to voters who are notsatisfied with either of the two main parties.

From the middle of the seventeeth century to the end ofthe nineteenth century, the two main parties were the Toriesand the Whigs, though towards the end of this period the of-ficial names had changed to the Conservatives and the Liber-als. The name ‘Tory’ however remained a popular alternativeamong the Conservatives.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the LabourParty began to emerge as a separate political force, aided bythe failure of the Conservatives and Liberals to secure the sup-port of the voters enfranchised by the 1867 Reform Act. Inthe 1920s Labour became one of the two major parties, in thewake of the split in the Liberals between the followers ofAsquith and the followers of Lloyd George. After forming twominority governments in the 1920s, with Liberal support, theymarked their coming of age by attaining a majority in theHouse of Commons in 1945.

My interest in politics developed in about 1951, when Iwent to a grammar school in the September and the Conser-

vatives under Winston Churchill returned to office in the Oc-tober (post hoc non ergo propter hoc). At that time it seemedthat everyone was either Conservative or Labour. Of the thirdparties after the 1955 general election, the Liberals had sixMPs: three in Wales, one in Scotland, and two in England. Thetwo in England were in Bolton and Huddersfield: each townhad two MPs and in each there was a local pact between theConservatives and the Liberals to fight one seat each. Of na-tionalist parties in 1955, only Sinn Fein achieved electoral suc-cess and their two MPs were unable to take their seats becausethey were otherwise detained. Today there is a multiplicity ofthird parties: in addition to the Liberal Democrats, the heirsof the Liberal Party, there are the Green Party, the ScottishNational Party, and Plaid Cymru.

Below the ‘third parties’ there are groups that we can cat-egorize as ‘fourth parties’ of which the most famous is the Of-ficial Monster Raving Loony Party (OMRLP). The pop star,David Sutch, known as ‘Screaming Lord Sutch’, fought a num-ber of elections, particularly by-elections, under parties witha number of different names. Then, on 16 June 1982, Sutch,together with the present leader, Alan ‘Howling Laud’ Hope,formed the OMRLP which made its first appearance at theBermondsey by-election in 1983. Hope can generally be spot-ted as the one who dresses like Colonel Sanders or Boss J.D.Hogg from ‘The Dukes of Hazzard.’

Their manifestos over the years have contained some ap-parently outlandish proposals, many of which have been sub-sequently introduced—the curse of satirists through the ages.Some that haven’t include the 99p coin to reduce the need forchange when paying by cash and a ban on greyhound racingto stop the country going to the dogs.

Some may object to the OMRLP and their kind as frivo-lous, but they serve a pur-pose. Quite apart fromproviding a colourful diver-sion during the televising ofelection counts, the numberof votes their candidates re-ceive is an indication of thehealth of the body politic. Asthe vote they receive in-creases, the main two partiesand the ‘third parties’ shouldseriously examine the stateof their parties. ND

Method in their MadnessJ. Alan Smith considers the state of the party system

The first-past-the-post system used for elections to the House of Commons and tomost of our councils no doubt originated

in a very simple approach.

There are many good reasons forvisiting the Norfolk church of S.Agnes, Cawston, not least the

fact that its roodscreen possesses one ofthe finest sets of figures of the Apostles,for whose painting money was given inthe years 1490-1504.

The Apostles are readily recognisedby their emblems (ND July 2013), such asAndrew (1) with his cross saltire, orBartholomew (2) bearing the flayingknife, traditionally the instrument of hismartyrdom.

As a former tax collector (Matthew9:9), Matthew’s background is recognisedby his wearing spectacles (3). Tradition-ally the youngest apostle, John is depictedas a fresh-faced and beardless young man(4). Here he is depicted bearing a poi-soned chalice (the poison symbolised bythe dragon), whose contents he drankwithout coming to any harm having madethe sign of the Cross over it.

CAwSTON’S APOSTLES

ND


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The next issue of newdirectionsis published on 5 July

2019 continues to be a year in which it isdangerous to be a Christian. Not, perhaps forus here in the United Kingdom but aroundthe world each day our brothers and sistersin Christ face horrific persecution. In a re-cent study 50 countries were identified asbeing the most unsafe for Christians. In these50 countries alone, an average of 11 Chris-tians die each day, 2625 have been detainedand imprisoned without trial, and 1266church buildings have been attacked or de-stroyed. These startling figures should en-courage the church here in England torespond in some way. The Archbishop ofIrbil, Bashar Warda, has warned that Chris-tians in Iraq now face extinction after 1400years of living and praying in the region.‘Christianity in Iraq’, he said, ‘one of the oldestChurches, if not the oldest Church in theworld, is perilously close to extinction. Thoseof us who remain must be ready to face mar-tyrdom.’ The Church in Iraq faces a future inwhich their persecutors seek not only to wipeout the present community but to remove alltrace of the rich Christian heritage from theland. And this is repeated in places aroundthe world where Christian cultures and com-munities are under threat. The Archbishopbelieves the reason Christian leaders in thiscountry and others have remained quiet inthe face of the persecution is political cor-rectness: ‘Will you continue to condone thisnever-ending, organised persecution againstus? When the next wave of violence beginsto hit us, will anyone on your campuses holddemonstrations and carry signs that say: Weare all Christians?’. The Bishop of Truro hassupported the Archbishop’s call for more ac-tion and solidarity, reminding us that weshould not ‘only consider [the persecution]in light of Islamic militancy’ as when we dothis ‘we let a lot of other people off the hookwho should otherwise be held to account’.The reluctance to act in any way is one thatshould concern us as Christians and shouldgalvanise us into action in support of ourbrothers and sisters around the world. Wecan begin with prayer but we must also thinkof other ways to act in solidarity and to raise

awareness of the persecution of Christiansaround the world. For when one part of thebody of Christ is wounded we are allwounded.

May 2019 saw a large gathering of Pro-Life supporters gather in London for theMarch for Life. This annual event offers anopportunity for people to witness to thesanctity of life and to learn more about theissues surrounding the Pro-Life argument.This year the theme of the March was:‘Unique from Day One’. This theme soughtto remind people that to be Pro-Life is not toignore science or to be ant-science in someway, but rather that science and scientific dis-covery continue to reinforce the Pro-Life ar-gument. From the moment of fertilisationour DNA is present whether it is 23 pairs ofchromosomes or 22. That is to say that at thevery moment each person is a unique, unre-peatable, and incredible person distinguishedfrom any other human being on the planet.As Christians we can shy away from speakingup for life but we should not be afraid to doso. Just as science is on the side of life all themore should our Christian communities be.The Pro-Life movement seeks to create aworld where the beauty, dignity and unique-ness of all human life is respected and upheld.There is a long way to go and this will requireus to face up the inequalities around theworld and to strive to ensure that these areeliminated so that all people can thrive. It canbe easy for us to imagine that we cannotchange what is going on around the world butthere is so much we can do. By changingsmall things in our own lives, by speaking out,through prayer and action we can make smalldifferences that will have a great culminativeeffect. As Christians we need to be seriousabout the building of the Kingdom of God,this is God’s call for each one of us. In the mu-sical ‘The Man of La Mancha’, Don Quixotehas various seemingly impossible dreams towhich he is attached but he reminds us thatto dream them is ‘to be willing to march intohell for a heavenly cause’. We can begin thismarch quite simply in prayer. ND

Editorial

Iwas a bit surprised at how lile wasmade of Queen Victoria’s 200thbirthday at the end of last month. I

realize that it’s easier to celebrate a birth-day if the person in question is still alive,but all the same, I thought we ought tohave done more with the anniversary—24th May—than we did. e Royal Gal-leries put on an exhibition, and theRoyal Mint struck a £5 coin with lots ofcogs, a steam train and a telephone onthe reverse, but then that lot will strikea new coin for any event they think theycan make a sale out of. Recently theywere even flogging a 50 pence piece tomark the 50th anniversary of the 50pence piece. In any event, by the time ofher 200th birthday, Queen Victoria hadbeen eclipsed by a Sherlock Holmes 50p,on offer in mint condition for £10. Workthat one out!

Victorian Britain is not a world away.e Queen Empress died only days intothe twentieth century, in January 1901,by which time two of my grandparentshad been born. And that, perhaps, mightmake us feel that we can almost reachback to the time of the Oxford Move-

ment Fathers and the religious contro-versies of Queen Victoria’s reign (inwhich she was not, it must be acknowl-edged, on our side). She acceded to thethrone in 1837, and the following yearDr Pusey began to hear confessions. Asher reign went on, her loyal subjectsbuilt and restored churches, foundednew benefices, opened theological col-leges, and pushed the boundaries ofliturgical acceptability regardless of thePublic Worship Regulation Act 1874.Surplice riots had broken out in 1844,and Blomfield, Bishop of London, scan-dalized churchgoers in his diocese bycommending not only the surplice in thepulpit but also the weekly taking of a col-lection, although Owen Chadwick wasof the opinion that churchgoers gener-ally ‘resented these praices as innova-

tions, and sublimated their dislike ofnovelty into accusations of Popery.’

It was the next Bishop of London,Tait, who fell back on the courts to do hisdirty work, since he wanted to stamp out‘Popery’ but didn’t want to offend hisHigh Church surplice-wearing friends.His chosen victim was my first predeces-sor, Fr Mackonochie, dragged throughthe courts in the 1860s and convicted formixing water into the chalice and ‘exces-sive kneeling,’ among other things. Later,the 1874 Act would see Fr Tooth impris-oned, and public opinion was scandal-ized at the incongruity of thepunishment. e tide began to turn, andthe nonsense was effectively killed off bythe ill-advised prosecution of BishopKing.

But never let us forget that the workof the Oxford Movement was first andforemost doctrinal, seeking always toemphasize continuity with the past. Inthe first year of Victoria’s reign Newmanhad wrien that ‘Catholicity, Apostolic-ity, and consent of the Fathers, is theproper evidence of the fidelity or apos-tolicity of a professed Traarian.’ We livein an age which thinks doctrine is a dirtyword, and dogma even worse. To accusesomeone of being dogmatic is an insultstraight out of the ‘woke’ thesaurus, andmany in church life have been beguiledby that way of thinking. Yet for most ofchurch history, the idea that an individ-ual might simply discard elements ofChristian doctrine and still call himselfa Christian would have been unthink-able. We might not all be able to articu-

late what the Council of Chalcedon saidabout the two natures of Christ, but it isorthodox teaching and we all ought toassent to it. e Word was made flesh.God has become man; a man has not be-come God.

To live the Christian life, then, is toidentify ourselves with God and the wayhe has made himself known to his peo-ple. And if you shut yourself off fromdoctrine, you shut yourself off from anunderstanding of God who has love atthe very centre of his being, who there-fore creates out of love rather than outof some deficiency in himself (as wemight create a Hoover to make cleaningthe house easier), or out of a selfish de-sire to have something to take out of itsbox and play with.

God possesses a diversity-in-unitythat desires not only to create out oflove, but also sustain that creation inlove. And, accepting that we only have alimited ability to engage in any God-talk,we are painfully aware that talking aboutGod is complicated, but why should weexpect it to be otherwise? We are crea-tures trying to talk about our creator.And yet, as Christians, we have nevergiven up trying to talk about him, be-cause we believe that the Word wasmade flesh and dwelt among us.

Ian Ramsey, a great writer on the lan-guage we use about God, said that thework of the Church Fathers in hammer-ing out the technical understanding ofthe doctrine of the Trinity was not as ifthey had taken a telescope, pointed it atthe Godhead, and wrien down theirobservations. Rather, the Fathers laiddown some rules for our God-talk,whilst knowing very well that this lan-guage is rooted in the Christian experi-ence of the approach of God. As he said,‘e Christian does not have the singleword “God” as his key-word.’ Instead,those early Christians had received anexperience of God which demanded amuch richer and more complex meansof expression. For at its heart is love: lovein creation, love in redemption, love inthe sustaining of that redeemed creation.And if you are challenged for believingthe orthodox Christian faith, that mightbe your starting point. God is love, andin love he turns to us, Father, Son andHoly Spirit, asking only that we respondto love with love.


ND

For most of church history, the idea that an individualmight simply discard elements of Christian doctrine and

still call himself a Christian would have been unthinkable.

Christopher Smith raises a glass on Queen Victoria’s 200th birthday

the way we live now


views, reviews and previewsartEDVARD MUNCH: Love and AngstREMBRANDT: Thinking on PaperBritish MuseumMunch until 21 July 2019Rembrandt until 4 August 2019

Edvard Munch was born into a pros-perous family in Christiana, or Oslo as itbecame in 1925. His mother died of tu-berculosis when he was five. His belovedsister Sophie died when he was thirteen.His father was a doctor who worked forthe poor of the city. There was a historyof mental illness in the family andMunch was afraid for his own mentalhealth. Oppressed by his circumstancesand despising the bourgeois society inwhich he lived, Munch joined Chris-tiana’s bohemian set, became an alco-holic and had tempestuous affairs withwomen to whom he would not commit.In 1918, on the proceeds of his increas-ingly prosperous career, he bought acountry house outside Christiana anddied an internationally fêted artist at theage of 80. ‘Edvard Munch: Love andAngst’ contains some of his finest printsof human despair, anguish and separa-tion. There are portraits of fellow artistssuch as Ibsen, and many women. WhenMunch’s women are not dying they areusually sexual vampires. There are alsolandscapes in a bleak Norwegian light.Book in advance for this show.

Rembrandt Van Rijn was the ninthchild of a miller’s family. Like Munch heknew family illness. Both of his wivesand all four of his children died beforehim. Like Munch he lived in a societywhere morals could be enforced by thechurch, though in Rembrandt’s day thatenforcement could be very direct. Un-like Munch, Rembrandt’s career startedbrilliantly but ultimately crashed. He be-came unfashionable and he lost hismoney through a combination of im-providence and speculation. He was

buried in a pauper’s grave. Rembrandt’swork, especially his pictures of old peo-ple, is characterized by a deep humanity.The British Museum is showing—forfree—some of Rembrandt’s greatestprints as well as some his sketches. Thereis no need to queue.

Both Munch and Rembrandt werehighly accomplished printmakers,though working in very different cir-cumstances. Munch’s best work is sim-plified and has a poster-like quality. It isoften built up of great blocks of black orwhite or colour. He uses the grain ofwoodblocks to bind his images togetherand give them life. He experiments withetching, dry-point, mezzotint, woodcutand lithograph. And he repeats subjectsand themes obsessively, often with agrim twist to them. So, the self-portraitwhich is the first work in the show ispowerfully, darkly black. It looks con-ventional, until you see the skeleton arm

on the bottom edge. Then there is thewoman—Madonna—in sexual rapture.She looks scandalously just that, untilyou notice the odd sperm and foetuswhich make up the border and whichtake away some of the erotic charge. Justas striking as the sexy prints is the wayMunch was an artist of overwhelmingsadness, especially in ‘The Sick Child,’and of psychic shock, especially in the fa-mous ‘The Scream.’ Always his gaze is in-tense, and often self-centred. No wonderhe struggled with sexual intimacy.

The contrast with Rembrandt isepochal. The Dutchman works with afine line, often a complex, repeated line.None of his prints are coloured. Themetal used to make the prints was oftenreused for dramatic effect, notably in thethree great workings of the crucifixion.But even as a young man, Rembrandtwas a mellower human being thanMunch. His beautiful, charming land-scapes of the Amstel soothe and delight.They are the kind of landscapes, whichat least in its imitators, Munch de-spised—and then went to live in. His fe-male nudes, far from being the stuff ofmale fantasy or nightmare, are realwomen. In particular, the sketcheswhich provide the preliminaries to hisgreat paintings of Bathsheba are sympa-thetic both emotionally and physically towomen. There is also a lurking naughti-ness in Rembrandt. Not Munch’s deca-dent, bohemian, symbolist night clubnaughtiness, but a sly earthiness. The‘Three Trees,’ surely one of his finestprints, has rustic goings on in dark cor-ners, something not to be found in atownie like Munch.

And Rembrandt was a religiousartist, if a complexly religious man. Bycontrast, Munch was a follower of Niet-zsche, whom he famously drew with alarge head to emphasize his braininess.He was an artist of the human will andhuman loneliness. The British Museumhas given us the chance to compare twoworld views as presented by two fineartists. The religious Rembrandt looksto have the greater humanity and in-tegrity.

Owen Higgs


booksST AUGUSTINE’S CONFESSIONSBenignus O’Rourke OSA (Trans)DLT 2013 Kindle £8.63 ASIN: B00ELE1G6I 417pp

St Augustine’s Confessions has re-mained inaccessible to many becausetranslators of his exquisite Latin lackedthe expertise and daring found by Be-nignus O’Rourke OSA to render its sub-stance and nuance into accessibleEnglish prose. His is a beautiful, power-ful translation. It makes the text veryreadable in our vernacular and opens upthis most godly and honest self-exami-nations that invites conversation withGod on almost every page. It certainlyhelped me to engage afresh with a spiri-tual classic. What is remarkable is howthe concerns of St Augustine are so con-temporary: his struggle with careerism,misconceptions of Christianity, scrip-tural literalism and the damage done tous by false creeds.

It becomes clear as you digest thisbook that Augustine’s struggles are withselfish ambition as much as lust. ‘From adistance you saw, Lord, how I slitheredon this tricky ground’ he writes, ‘buthow, amid all the haze, a glimmer of in-tegrity shone out’. It is a compelling read,seeing this integrity fanned into flamethrough a ten year journey in which hismother Monica’s prayers, as well as hisfriendships, gently pull him from uselessambition into the Christian orbit.

Augustine had imbibed the dualismof the Manichees, which had blindedhim to God’s presence within: ‘You werewithin me but I was outside myself, andthere I sought you’. The fashionable Pla-tonic view of God was as a being like thesun, the world in shadows and darke-ness. In discovering Christ Augustinefelt in contrast he himself had been dis-covered. The truth of God he hadsought he found coming to him in hu-mility. ‘Your wisdom is beyond reckon-ing, but your only begotten Son wasgiven to us to be our wisdom, the onethrough whom we are made acceptableto you, through whom we are madeholy… I was not humble enough to ac-

cept the humble Jesus as God, nor did Iknow what his weakness was meant toteach us’.

Throughout this readable volume theauthor tells his story in such a way as tochime in with our frailty whilst liftingthe reader to God who, in retrospect, ishis and our beginning and end. Withoutfaith in this reality of God as unifyingprinciple ‘we are restless’ writes Augus-tine. He provides a graphic instance ofhow this restlessness undermined hisambition to be the world’s best orator: ‘Iremember one day when I was prepar-ing to deliver a eulogy in praise of theEmperor. That meant telling many lies,and being applauded by an audiencewho well knew the falseness of what Isaid. So my heart was pounding withanxiety, my mind agitated with franticthoughts. I was walking down a certainstreet in Milan when I noticed a poorbeggar, half drunk, but laughing… Hewas full of contentment. I was full ofanxiety. He was without a care in theworld. I was troubled. If someone wereto ask if I want to be happy or anxious, Iwould of course say ‘happy’. Were I askedfurther did I want to be like the beggar,or be as I was at that moment, I wouldhave chosen to be as I was, full of worriesand fears.’

In a remarkable twist to his story, Au-gustine’s desire to perfect his publicspeaking takes him to listen to BishopAmbrose, a skilled orator. And, despitehis intention to ignore the Christianteaching being communicated, he fails toblock the Holy Spirit. ‘Within me I washungry for the food which is you, myGod’. That hunger took ten years to be

fully fed, a remarkable story which is im-mensely topical. Many people dabble inreligion and spirituality for years alongtheir life’s path but a proportion gettransformed as they allow their seekingfor novelty to be turned on its head. LikeAugustine they are themselves madenew by seeing God smiling at their questand enter the way he has prepared forthem. This book in its new translation isinvaluable as a challenge and a reminderto let God be God through ongoing sur-render of our lives to him.

John Twisleton

WORDS THAT LISTENA Literary Companion to the Lec-tionaryJ. Barney Hawkins and Ian S.Markham, Eds.; Mark Oakley, Cons.Ed.(Canterbury Press, 2018)

FACE TO FACEMeeting Christ in Friend andStrangerSamuel Wes(Canterbury Press, 2019)

Preaching isn’t easy. The craft requirestime and patience, a certain skill, andeven flair. It must engage, not be toolong, be doctrinally sound yet meet peo-ple ‘where they are’. Published collectionsof others’ sermons seem to have been onthe rise in recent years too, giving an in-sight into how someone else might do it.This likewise acknowledges the homilyform as something worth reading even iffirst delivered years ago. A major chal-lenge is how to keep one’s style, well…challenging; how to avoid going stale orout of fashion. This is particularly so inthe multimedia age when digital sourcesand the 24/7 rolling news have such ahold on life (and attention spans). At thesame time, our congregations are ar-guably more literate than they have everbeen, and preaching is truly under thespotlight as ‘the medium becomes themessage’, to borrow from MarshallMcLuhan.

Thanks be, then, to J. BarneyHawkins and Ian S. Markham who haveproduced a two-volume collection —Words That Listen, a Literary Com-panion to the Lectionary. It’s a hand-


some product from Canterbury Pressand in its own slipcase. The premise issimple: it divides between Advent to As-cension, and Pentecost to Christ theKing. On each Sunday (or feast), thegospel readings are presented for eachyear (A-C) and then some literary ex-cerpts follow with a brief introductionto each. It’s almost too simple as an idea,but it works. A major factor is that thisis produced on the Episcopalian churchcalendar and therefore has North Amer-ican Anglicans chiefly in mind. But thedifferences from the Revised CommonLectionary are negligible, and for anypreacher interested to read around a lit-tle, or find something for the text that isnot concordance or straight-throughcommentary, then this book begins topay rich dividends.

It must be said upfront that thesources might not always be classed asliterature in the strict sense. A numberof theologians feature, including RowanWilliams, Martin Percy, Frank Gris-wold, Nouwen, Coverdale, and PopeJohn Paul II. They’re unlikely to featureon any English course syllabus, althoughobvious writers who also ‘do’ theologyare included, for example C.S. Lewis,Balzac, Dostoevsky, T.S. Eliot, Shake-speare and Tolstoy. We have the ChurchFathers too — Augustine, Gregory theGreat — then ‘later voices’: Teresa ofAvila, Julian of Norwich, John of theCross, Bernard of Clairvaux; all religiousliterature.

The scope is clearly beyond theAmericas. Particularly British voicessuch as R.S Thomas and John Betjemanare here, along with Virginia Woolf,

Swift, Housman, Evelyn Waugh,Kipling, Blake, also G.M. Hopkins, Fran-cis Thompson and Malcolm Guite.Mark Oakley was the Consulting Editor(his own work gets an outing too) whichmay explain some of the selection.

Modern American writers one mightexpect to see are evident: FlanneryO’Connor, Marilynne Robinson, MayaAngelou, Longfellow, Wendell Berry. Al-though it’s curiously Transatlantic in away, even bypassing Ireland, to focusmost on the US, England, and a clutch ofLatin American names alongside the ob-vious literary greats already mentioned.

Neither is it just the written word.Paintings such as Caravaggio’s Beheadingof John the Baptist are present, and nu-merous references to films (Babette’sFeast, The Exorcist), also songs (LeonardCohen, John Denver). There’s evensomething from a speech by JFK, an-other by Dag Hammarskjold, and rightlyMartin Luther King’s “I have a dream” isthere.

The greatest failing of this book is theabsence of any index: no list of authors,no first lines or themes. This is a cryingshame because it limits its usefulness asa reference. But as an anthology it provesfascinating. True, it may not meet astringent lit-crit test, but it breaks newground and is a welcome, stimulatingaddition to the theological shelf.

*****A consistent preacher, and one much indemand, is Samuel Wells, Vicar of StMartin-in-the-Fields. His new bookFace to Face, Meeting Christ in Friendand Stranger is a beautiful work ofhope, wonder and humility. He writeswith disarming clarity and honestyabout the wonder of being a priestthrough his pastoral encounters withspecific people. They are types we haveall seen: the lost, the angry, the addicted,the disappointed, the confused, thegrateful. In all, 21 short chapters eachgive some insight into how we squarewhatever faith we have with life in themodern world and the blows it can deal.

One of the most attractive aspects tothis book is its gentleness with humility.Wells admits and illustrates the times hehas got something a bit wrong or not un-derstood the full picture. This onlymakes everything more touching and isa masterclass in how to conduct some

theological reflection around ministry,including what it does and what it mightbe. As he says in the Preface ‘It’s in-tended as an encouragement to clergy,and to all who minister, as a reminder ofwhy we do what we do, especially shouldwe ever feel discouraged, underappreci-ated, or bewildered. But it’s also designedas a way for lay people to see through theeyes of a priest, to renew their own senseof ministry, and to gain fresh perspectiveon the humble and surprising ways Godshows up’.

Wells writes with great fluency; thepithy chapters are short but well framed.An extended introduction occupies al-most a third of the book and sets thescene at the outset. He takes the themesof silence, touch, and words, to explorethe priestly experience and how they in-tersect with our pastoral care and spiri-tual development. It’s praxis, pure andsimple. The Christian life must alwaysbe about the other and about God. Itmeans helping people ‘to pray and comeface to face with God in Christ. Becausethat’s ministry.’ It is a moving testamentto the ordained life. ‘We need peoplewho will believe in God’s gifts and re-mind us why we practise them. We needpeople who will inspire us and encour-age us and teach us, and will clean up af-terwards. We need priests.’

This is a perfect gift for a priest whohas inspired, or one who is ready to in-spire as he goes forward for the grace oforders. But neither is it a book aboutpriests and for priests by another priest.Its core message is both universal andtimely. Certainly it reminds us all whata privilege priesthood is, and how God

brings the Church to life through thepastoral bond between his priests andpeople.

Simon Walsh

ANGELSA Visible and Invisible HistoryPeter StanfordISBN 978 1 473 62208 1Hodder & Stoughton £20, 344pp

The author of this book, a distinguishedwriter, journalist, and broadcaster andformer editor of The Catholic Herald, isto be congratulated on producing a com-prehensive study of angels as their wingsflutter in and out of the history of all thegreat religions of the world. He startsfrom their earliest beginnings in Babylonand Zoroastrianism, through their ap-pearance in the narratives of the booksof the Old and New Testaments. Hededicates some important space to ex-plaining the rôle of angels in Islam, andmost notably the Qu’ran, and how theydraw on their religious antecedents.

Stanford is fluent but concise in hisdepiction of angels in the art, theologyand literature of Christendom, giving(rightly) a major place to Aquinas in theformulation even today of our under-standing of the place of angels in the di-vine plan. From the high noon of theirplace in the Summa, he traces their dis-appearance from the mainstream con-cerns of the Church in theEnlightenment and nineteenth century,although noting their survival in some ofKarl Barth’s commentaries, and the en-cyclicals of Pope John Paul II and Bene-dict.

He is especially good in his descrip-tion of the major part which angels playin the more exotic cosmologies of Swe-denborg, Blake and Joseph Smith of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter DaySaints, who claimed to have been visitedby the angel Moroni, whose goldenimage adorns the top of every MormonTemple.

Each chapter is separated by two let-ters with commentary of an Angelic Al-phabet, an eclectic mix of references: “Ois for Clarence Odbody, the guardian angelin Frank Capra’s evergreen 1946 classic film,It’s a Wonderful Life, played by HenryTravers” or- more academically- “S is for

Shalgiel, the angel ‘appointed over thesnow’ in the fifth-century-CE rabbinicaltext the Hebrew Book of Enoch, also knownas 3 Enoch.” It is an engaging device in abook of this kind, and which gives the at-tentive reader of Stanford’s chapterssome relief from the very fulsome detailsof his chapter narratives. For it is impor-tant to appreciate that- although Stan-ford is expert at explaining thebackground and references to the figuresand events he depicts- this is not a book

necessarily for the academic theologian,some of whose knowledge in the subjectsbeing written about may be assumed,but rather the general reader who mayhave a passing interest in the subjectmatter of his book. (A growing market,it would seem- Stanford mentions thatthe “Spiritual” sections of bookshopswhere they exist now often have an “An-gels” section.)

The readers of this magazine will-onehopes-not need to know that Samsonwas “a biblical colossus whose physicalstrength- and hair- was legendary”, or thatthe Gospels tell us Saint Peter had a wife.I myself was eager to find some analysisof the way in which biblical narrativesometimes seems to use the Angel ofGod as a surrogate for God, (thewrestling match with Jacob and theAngel at Peniel) in the same way that thecelebrant using the Roman canon of theMass asks for “these gifts” “to be borne bythe hands of your holy Angel” in a refer-ence to the Second Person of the Trinity.I did not find a great deal here to engageme in that enquiry. This is clearly notthe market which Stanford is aiming for,and one is in any event prepared readily

to forgive an author any sense of disap-pointment when he speculates that theangel who sustained Elijah for forty daysand forty nights on his journey toMount Horeb was feeding him “mychildhood treat of butterscotch Angel De-light.”

Where I think his book is of direct in-terest to those who may be said to havea professional axe to grind is in what iscontained in the Prelude and Epilogue.Direct interest, because much of what hehas to say about the survival of angels inpublic belief and consciousness is of di-rect relevance to the survival of religionin our country, despite the much-adver-tised decline in formal church going. Ina 2016 poll of two thousand people, onein ten Britons say they have experiencedthe presence of an angel, while one inthree remain convinced they have aguardian angel.

He rightly quotes Jane Williams onangels: ”In what we think about angels, itis as though we allow ourselves access toneeds that normally we would deny or sup-press. Angels give us a way of expressing ourlonging for beings who are more powerfulthan ourselves and who care for us.” Thereis surely opportunity for mission in thosestatistics and those needs. Just as thereis in the beauty of his tribute to the roofof angels that adorns his local parishchurch of South Creake, “an open invita-tion to contemplate being dwellers in timeand space”. Its survival from the ravagesof Reformers and the pot shots of jack-daw hunters maybe speaks more elo-quently than any opinion poll for theenduring reverence we have, despiteeverything, for “God’s holy angels.”

Nigel Palmer

CONFORMED TO CHRIST CRUCI-FIED, VOLS. 1,2 AND 3Joseph Carola, SJ2010 to 2018, Gregorian and BiblicalPress ISBN 978-88-7839-152-9ISBN 978-88-7839-310-3ISBN 978-88-7839-380-6

On a recent holiday to Rome, I visited afriend of mine who has recently been or-dained priest for the Archdiocese ofDublin. We had both begun our trainingat the same time, having worked to-gether for the same company. It was only



when we both sent round a message tocolleagues to say that we were leaving forthe priesthood that we discovered thatshared vocation!

He is currently studying at the Pon-tifical Gregorian University (‘the Greg’as the students call it), a Jesuit run insti-tution. I was privileged to be given a bitof a tour, in the course of which heshowed me the various teaching rooms(aula) and introduced me to some of theteaching staff. It was intriguing to see thesimilarities and differences between ournominally Christian, but in fact largely

secular ancient institutions, and thissomewhat less ancient university run bythe Jesuits.

One of those members of the Societyof Jesus is Father Joseph Carola, towhom I was introduced. Over an amaroin my friend’s rooms the evening before,I had been introduced to these books ofhomiletic meditations on the priestlylife. Having just purchased them at theuniversity bookshop, we ran into the au-thor. I wasn’t surprised to learn that thisman is a very popular supervisoramongst the masters and doctoral stu-dents: he was exceedingly generous withhis time, and very clear in his manner ofexpression. Despite the fact he obviouslyhad an extremely busy schedule he madetime to sit down, sign his books and havea real conversation.

That generosity of spirit comes as nosurprise now I have had an opportunityto read his work in more detail. His con-stant theme is the identification of theministerial priest with Christ the priestand victim. He positively re-states timeand again in various ways how the actionof Christ the head of the body in the per-son of his priest must necessarily be theguiding principle of that man’s life andwork. Many of these homilies were

preached for the first time at masses ofthanksgiving celebrated by newly or-dained priests or at ordinations.

In my experience, some collectionsof sermons read very badly, but these,like those of Pope Benedict XVI (whomFather Carola references not infre-quently, along with the Church Fathersand St Ignatius), work very well as writ-ten meditations too. Whilst of coursesome of his homilies are addressed onthe subject of the vow of celibacy, SaintPaul’s counsel of perfection that is nor-mally mandatory for Roman Catholicclergy, this by no means devalues the rel-evance of the collection to a priest of theChurch of England who is married.

And in a time when priests are askedto do more and more, when emails, ad-ministration, committees and so on arealways pressing, having a tonic on handis essential. This collection of accessible,learned and thoughtful homilies pro-vides a resource of short correctives tothe many and various ways in which apriest can lose his focus on what reallymatters. In each short address, FatherCarola calls us back to the day of our or-dination and the fundamentals of the of-fice and work of a priest.

Guy Willis

STEPHEN BELLION Formerly

HOWELL & BELLIONCHURCH ART RESTORATION CONSERVATION : DECORATION : GILDING

2 Longford Place Pennington Lymington Hampshire SO418FS

Website : stephenbellionchurchart.com.ukEmail : [email protected]

Telephone : 01590 671733 Mobile: 07706347577


To say that John Bridcut makes documentaries fails toscratch the surface of his achievements. He special-izes in musicians: studies of Ralph Vaughan-

Williams, Edward Elgar, Parry (with Prince Charles) withoccasional excursions elsewhere, notably a film on HM TheQueen at ninety. His latest (on BBC Four) was a superlativeretrospective of the career of Dame Janet Baker. Now in hermid-eighties, she retired from opera in 1982 (there is marvel-lous footage of her last night in Orfeo at Glyndebourne) andfrom public performance in 1989. She reflects on her careerwith a robust lack of sentimentality. She reveals the traumatic,lasting impact of the death of her older teenage brother, andspeaks movingly of the unique moment when her profession-alism broke down while singing the Angel in the Dream ofGerontius in memory of her beloved John Barbirolli at thewords, ‘farewell, but not for ever, brother dear... and I will comeand wake thee on the morrow.’ Her recording, with Barbirolliconducting and Richard Lewis and Kim Borg the othersoloists, was one of the first boxed sets that I bought and re-

mains my favourite recording, among a crowded field. I wasfortunate to see and hear her several times, not least in LesTroyens and at a delightful recital given in the Methodist Hallof a pit village in the North East. Although sometimes de-scribed as the successor of Kathleen Ferrier, one contributorpointed out that Kathleen Ferrier was in a distinctive Englishcontralto tradition while Dame Janet is distinctly different asa mezzo-soprano. One of the characteristics of Bridcut’s filmsis to focus on contributors as they listen to the music, or in thiscase the voice of Dame Janet, and to watch their concentra-tion, physical movements and reactions, engagement and com-ments. Here it is particularly poignant and moving whenDame Janet, her husband—disabled after a series of strokes—and his burly, tattooed, sympathetic Scottish carer, listen toher recording of Mahler’s ‘Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen’(Rückert-Lieder). She wept. So did I. It was reminiscent of aperformance of ‘Das Lied von der Erde’ which I heard and wassimilarly moved with its last words ‘ewig, ewig’ fading into theeternal. What a voice. What a consummate artist.

*The auguries were not propitious: the cinema’s booking web-site failed to operate. After several futile attempts I tele-phoned, and booked two tickets for a live relay of Dialogues desCarmélites by Poulenc from the Metropolitan Opera, NewYork. It was one of those conversations which I ended notbeing entirely confident that a booking had been made. Severaldays later when I went to collect the tickets my forebodings

were borne out. ‘They’vebeen collected,’ I was told. Iprotested that they had not.‘They’ve been collected.’ ‘No,they have not. I want themnow.’ A senior colleague ar-rived and, after furtherprotestations, two ‘reprints’were produced. Theseturned out to be for CaptainMarvel. Yet more protestations, and being told that this iswhat I ordered, eventually resulted in the correct tickets beingbegrudgingly handed over. On the night my friend forgot tobring his ticket, the cinema had been changed, seats had beenreallocated and our seats were in separate rows. A harassedmanager reassigned us but one of the seats was occupied andsome readjustments were necessary. The delay meant that thepreliminary interviews and scene setting were taking place butwithout any sound. Fortunately, the middle classes of the leafysuburbs of North London are not reticent when it comes totheir culture and several had protested to another beleagueredmanager. Sound was restored about five minutes into theopera. Just before the audience rose as one in its righteouswrath to storm the barricades.

Was it worth it? Oh, yes, and in spades. In a transmissionyou may lose the visceral physicality of being in the audito-rium, but you gain from being immersed in the action, face toface with the singers. And opera singers can act. Every detail,every look, every exchange is in sharp focus and not vieweddimly from the back of the amphitheatre. It is the story of oneof the outrages of the Terror unleashed by the French Revo-lution. Nuns in the Carmelite convent in Compiègne were ex-pelled from the convent, denied the wearing of their habitsand executed: a grim story of martyrdom and of mob mental-ity, still resonant and replicated in contemporary horrors. Theproduction, over forty years old, by John Dexter is spare andconcentrated. The stage is a large white cross and the firstimage is of thirteen nuns prostrate with arms outstretched,Christ-like. The last image is of the nuns as they walk one byone across towards the back of the stage where Madame Guil-lotine awaits and their fate assured, and their martyrdom won,signalled by thudding chords cutting through the Salve Regina.Moving does not even begin to explain the opera’s, and thisperformance’s, effect; it was harrowing, dark, emotionallywringing, draining, completely engaging. Every character re-mains etched in the mind, the music still echoes in the innerear. The score is at times intimate, at others ferocious andslashing, forlorn, hauntingly beautiful, always absorbing, shat-tering. It is an ensemble piece, and all the principals were out-standing: Isabel Leonard, Erin Morley, Karen Cargill (theSister who craved martyrdom but was denied it), Karita Mat-tila (a tour de force), Adrianne Pieczonka. The orchestra, insuperb form, was conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

ThuriferND

June DiaryThurifer gets musical

was it worth it? Oh, yes, and in spades. In a transmission you may lose the visceral

physicality of being in the auditorium, butyou gain from being immersed in the

action.


Compiling one’s own book of de-votion for private use has longbeen a practice in Anglican de-

votion and there are a number of classi-cal examples of such purely devotionalmanuals which reflect not only sounddoctrine, but also the use of the Church’sliturgical prayer as the medium of per-sonal prayer. The most well-known ofthese are The Private Prayers of LancelotAndrewes, William Laud’s Private Devo-tions, Thomas Wilson’s Privata Sacra,and Bishop Cosin’s A Collection of PrivateDevotions, to name four.

The most famous of these manualsbelonged to Lancelot Andrewes. Thereis nowhere, perhaps, a more searchingand invigorating devotional book thanthis of Lancelot Andrewes. Prepared forhis personal use alone and not for othereyes, it unveils most intimately the heartof a saint as he saw himself in the pres-ence of God. The abasement of his pen-itence is equalled only by his adorationand the gratitude called forth by the as-surance of his redemption and forgive-ness. Many thousands since its firstpublication three hundred years agohave found in it a treasured guide and in-structor in spiritual understanding.

In the chancel of Southwark Cathe-dral lies the tomb of Lancelot Andrewes.A prayer desk beside the tomb has on ita copy of those private devotions, whichin the last years of failing health werenever far from him. So we must imaginehim on his knees, within reach of threeBibles (in Hebrew and Greek and Latin)a few other books on the shelf, and onbits of paper jotting down his thoughtsand penitence, and gratitude, and praise,hardly liking to add words of his own, asinadequate; always taking a text fromsomewhere, and then weaving it into hisown pattern, so that nothing separate inthe book is original, and yet the whole is

fresh and original—a mosaic of beauty.The original in Hebrew, Greek and

Latin was translated and published in1648 by Richard Drake, a pupil and dis-ciple and a friend of one of his secre-taries. It was not until 1673 that a properedition was published to become a treas-ured possession of our heritage of litera-ture and devotion. Before he became aRoman Catholic in 1845, John HenryNewman translated Andrewes’ PrivatePrayers in 1840 and kept a copy of themon his prayer desk throughout the rest ofhis life, a translation still available in sec-

ond-hand book shops. This means thatno edition today is how Andrewes left itbut is a conjectured construction by con-temporary editors.

The curious thing is that neither theunoriginality of the separate texts whichAndrewes wrote down, nor the gap be-tween the texts which he wrote and thevarious modern arrangements of thetexts, puts the slightest bar between thereader of Andrewes’ text and Andrewes’own mind. Everyone who uses the mo-saic has an instant sense of rapportacross the centuries, with a mind that is

penitential, grateful, gentle, humane,compassionate—a lover of God and hisgrace. This sense of rapport is so remark-able that it makes the historian wonderabout historical sources. To penetratethe personality of a figure of the past isone of the most difficult feats which his-torians are sometimes driven to attempt.Modern psycho-history has used themethods of psychology to attempt it, butto little effect and, on occasion, damag-ing effect. The texts of Andrewes make

one wonder whether a religious figure ofthe past may be best known by lookingat his prayers. You do not know An-drewes at all by reading the translationof Genesis in the Authorised Version.You know him a little, but so little as tobe misleading, if you read the Latin ofTortura Torti. A few letters survive, butnot enough to give you the personalityof the author. If you read the sermonsyou begin to know something of thepreacher’s mind—humour, pity, anxietyfor society and its condition, care for thestate, love of a saviour—but even in thesermon, through a glass darkly. It is inthe Preces Privatae that you feel there tobe a meeting of minds, or perhaps ofsouls, I do not know.

The manual expresses the true toneand character which the English churchaims at forming in her children: large-ness of sympathy, self-restraint, sober-

ness, fervour, the spirit of ‘continuousbut not unhopeful penitence.’ It brings usinto the most intimate contact with onewho, besides being a great scholar and agreat bishop, a favoured courtier and ahighly placed dignitary, was one who‘wholly spent himself and his studies inprayer and the praise of God, compas-sion and works of charity.’ Here he offershimself, his soul and body, a contrite anda broken heart, and a thankful and grate-ful heart to his creator.

The most famous of these manuals belonged to Lancelot Andrewes. There is nowhere, perhaps, a more searching

and invigorating devotional book than this.

faith ofour fathers Arthur Middleton considers manuals of devotion

ND

The texts of Andrewes make one wonder whether a religiousfigure of the past may be best known by looking at his

prayers.

When I left the courtyardthat Sunday morning atabout 7:30 the sky was a

clear pale blue and the air was quitestill although fresh on my face. It tookme 20 minutes brisk downhill walkingto get to the Anglican Cathedral andthe 8 o’clock communion service inEnglish: this was my weekly routine.After the service I would amble up The Street of the Prophets,buy some breakfast en route, eat it in the empty staff room atthe school, then move over to my office where I caught up withmy filing, my e-mails and some lesson preparation, then pos-sibly a bit of piano practice in the Junior Hall next door. Sun-day was a working day for the Israeli community, all the shopswere open, and people were about the streets, but on the wholeit was a relaxing day for me as the school kept an English week-end, with a half-day on Friday in order to get home well beforethe Jewish Shabbat started.

But this Sunday must have been during the school holi-days, because, on coming out of the cathedral, I suddenly de-cided on a change of routine. I was not going to forgo mybreakfast but I was not going into school either. For this onetime I would have my Sunday to myself, I thought, as I walkedpast the Palestinian Pottery on my way to The Street of theProphets. Half way up this street was a Jewish bakery whichmade the most amazing bourekas: croissant-shaped ones filledwith sweetened cheese, vol-au-vents filled with toasted halva,and, my favourite, sausage-roll-shaped ones filled withspinach. They were cheap and gorgeous, and were my Sundaytreat.

Having bought a couple of everything I made my way backdown to the Old City walls, and entered through the NewGate into the Christian Quarter. I had a sudden desire to goto the Church of the Resurrection, although I knew that allthe various rites were likely to have finished as it was now get-ting towards 10 o’clock and Sunday services rarely started after6:30. I passed the lurking Israeli guards at the entrance andstarted my circumnavigation of the basilica. Yes, everythinghad finished; there were a few priests and servers movingswiftly to and fro, and some members of their congregationschatting quietly as they made for the door, but the hordes oftourists and pilgrims had yet to arrive. I continued to walkuntil I came to the Rotunda and the Edicule with its lightedcandle, bearing the New Fire.

Now, as all inquisitive pilgrims to Jerusalem know, thereis another way to pray at the Tomb of Christ, other than en-tering it from the front door, so to speak. In the same religio-political power struggle that sent the Ethiopians to the roof,

the Egyptian Copts were pushed outof co-ownership of the Edicule itselfand so lodged themselves inside a sortof cave-chapel that leads to a holethrough which one can touch theEdicule, that is, if one is able to getonto hands and knees and crawl. Atthe entrance to this little chapel wouldoften be seated a priest-monk who

might be sunk in meditation, or alternatively might be on thelookout for an interested punter. He enjoyed theological spar-ring, and seemed to have an instinct for the right people to en-courage to enter his chapel, people who would give as good asthey got, and also, of course, be ready both to venerate theHoly Sepulchre from this direction and then put a suitable do-nation into his basket.

I quickened my pace as I realized that there were still peo-ple standing in a big circle around this chapel. The Liturgy haddefinitely finished, but as I reached the group the fully-robedpriest was just emerging from his cave with a wide smile acrosshis face, carrying a small, whole loaf of bread, the antidoron(blessed but unconsecrated bread). I immediately noticed alittle girl in the congregation; she was about 7 years old, withher black, curly hair spread loose down her back and her hugeeyes sparkling joyfully. She was wearing a ballerina-style rose-pink dress, she had a pink rose in her hair, and I particularlynoticed her little pink socks, embellished with pink pom-poms,which set off her sparkly pink sandals. Was it her birthday?She stood out in the sombre surroundings of the ancientchurch in a gloriously incongruous but deeply satisfying way.

Now, people I have told this story to have been very dis-believing, but I assure you I saw this with my own eyes. Thepriest stood for a moment in front of his small flock, surveyingthem genially, then lifted his arm and threw the loaf of breadright up in the air. There was a gasp, then great applause as thelittle girl ran forward and caught it! She then rushed back toher parents, showing them what she had been given. Her par-ents gathered her up in her arms and kissed her, while every-body was laughing and clapping, myself included. The girl thenwent round her circle of well-wishers, showing off her present,and was showered with praise.

I slipped away and made for the courtyard. Auntie wasbrewing coffee, I could smell it as I climbed the steps, andUncle was seated in his chair by the door waiting, eyes closed.I considered the bourekas, and decided that there were plentyto share. Then I wondered about the little girl: perhaps it wasthe first time she had taken her communion since her infantbaptism? The first time she had prepared with the properprayers, confession and fasting? I was never to know, but whatI do remember so clearly was the look on her face, the joywhen she caught the antidoron thrown by her priest, and thenhow she showed it to her family and friends. There’s a wholesermon there, a real learning-curve and a challenge for all ofus. ND


A Courtyard in JerusalemAnn George encounters an uplifting celebration

I considered the bourekas, and decided thatthere were plenty to share.


Back from the Handel Festival inGöttingen, where my son Wal-ter directed the opera this year -

Rodrigo, written when Handel was 22and replete with marvellous music ofwhich quite a bit he re-used in Agrippinaand Rinaldo a few years later.

I wrote my first music review whenI was not a lot older for Music & Musi-cians magazine which I subsequently ed-ited for 30 issues after my singing careertook a nosedive following my departurefrom Westminster Cathedral where Iwas sole countertenor for almost fouryears. I of course cannot write about myson’s work, though I would want topraise the singers and especially EricaEloff in the title role who gave the mostbrilliant masculine performance I haveever heard or seen from a woman,sounding perfectly like a counter-tenor(or perhaps what a castrato was reallylike) - so much so that Meredith my wifedid not realise it was not a man singing.And the other two female singers, FflurWyn and Anna Dennis were alsothrilling as was the tenor Jorge NavarroColorado. Casting is crucial of course inopera, alongside conducting (here sup-plied beautifully by current Göttingenartistic director and leading HandelianLaurence Cummings). But in its way justas wonderful a thrill was the playing inthe fine neo-classical university Aula ofthe Akademie für Alte Musik Berlinperforming with immaculate perfectionand without conductor (the ultimate au-thentic period touch) all six HandelConcerti Grossi along with refreshingbrief interludes from Telemann’sCanons mélodieux. I heard these playerson the BBC and was impressed. But inthe flesh they are simply transfiguringand alongside the opera reminded one ofthe fabulous essence of Handel’s spell-binding genius ultimately lavished onLondon.

Sadly, there was as far as I could tellno British newspaper critic attending thefestival this year. Shirley Apthorp, thebest opera critic around writing in Eng-lish from Berlin for the Financial Times,had planned to be at the Rodrigo pre-miere - but cancelled Deutsche Bahn

trains made her journey from a confer-ence in Holland impossible. Having beenan opera critic since soon after I mademy opera debut in Darmstadt in 1970,being able to commission myself as edi-tor of M&M to take a fresh and frankline about revivals at Covent Garden,and having been President of the Critics’Circle almost a decade ago, I find the col-lapse of music reviewing even in seriousnewspapers extremely depressing. Crit-ics can launch themselves as bloggerseasily these days. But what I miss is thekind of “arts-page” contextual handling

of reviews alongside relevant feature ma-terial which was a mark of TheGuardian in the 1970s and 1980s - andin my view very beneficial for broad-minded civilised readers.

The rot in my view set in because ofmusic-loving editor Alan Rusbridger’suntimely and foolish decision to switchthe printed appearance of the paperfrom broadsheet to so-called Berlinerformat - halfway between broadsheetand tabloid. The financial consequencesdo not seem to have occurred to him -namely that printing in a unique formatimplied totally independent financial re-sponsibility (bound to be a severe chal-lenge for a lefty “liberal” paper. And theinevitable eventual but delayed move tobasic tabloid format simply made every-thing worse - as it has with The Timestoo. Evidently it never occurred to Rus-bridger, who owed his first contact withThe Guardian to me, that the con-straints of a page-size for the productwould have overwhelming power andinfluence over commissioned and pub-lished lengths of articles including re-views, even though online availability ofreadable copy was completely uncon-strained in length - and Rusbridger’s jus-tifiable claim to fame and regard is thathe got the investment in online publica-tion of The Guardian completely right,while again failing to provide a really vi-able financial model for the paper as ithas spread across the English-speaking

world and begun to be appreciated to aserious extent in the USA and Australia,which it never could be (except asGuardian Weekly) before. The modelthat now saves the paper from bank-ruptcy is simply donations from sup-portive readers!

But perhaps it is not only the lengthof reviews that has suffered from the in-ternationalisation of The Guardian, andof journalism generally. Perhaps arts ed-itors find the process of selection simplytoo awkward to deal with. In the Finan-cial Times where I can read and enjoyShirley Apthorp, there is only one regu-lar music critic Richard Fairman, who isindeed invariably true to his name andseldom writes with any ferocity at all

(however deserved it might be). But anewspaper needs to review the live per-forming arts that have some relevance tothe life being led by its readers. If toomany live performance reviews are ofevents and productions they will neverbe able to experience, the readers maysimply give up reading. I like Shirley’swriting because I have seen and re-viewed a lot of opera in the German-speaking world which is indeed theoperatic workshop of the whole world,unrivalled in range and quantity of per-formances and stemming from the al-most 100 contracted and full-time operacompanies still properly subsidised inthat world.

I am not suggesting that my interestin opera is in any sense “normal”. Mybook on the theatrical side of operaticinterpretation Believing in Opera isunique. There has never been an at-tempt by a critic to write about the the-atrical interpretation aspect of operaticperformance. Being an opera critic withparticular ideas was the fundamentaldrive behind my book. My wife Mered-ith Oakes is a successful opera librettist(of Thomas Ades’s The Tempest for ex-ample). Our son Walter is a successfuldirector of opera productions, now alsoartistic director of Northern IrelandOpera (with its tiny £559,000 annualsubsidy). We could be said as a family tobe “over-invested” in opera. And proudof it!

Sadly, there was as far as I could tell no British newspapercritic attending the Handel Festival this year.

ND

SecularLiturgies Tom Sutcliffe explores some Handel


From Chevetogne Abbey to Aachen CathedralWill Lyon Tupman goes on a retreat

As many of you will know, I am someone who likesbeing busy, doing things I enjoy, and living a generallyactive lifestyle. But I had also felt a desire to take a

break, in order to reflect on my journey with God and my dis-cernment process with the church by means of a retreat—par-ticularly a monastic one—whenever such an opportunityarose. Moreover, travelling is one of my favourite hobbies,whether returning somewhere familiar or exploring a com-pletely new place. Therefore, for a week during Lent lastmonth, I made my first visits to Belgium and Germany tospend a few days on a monastic retreat at the beautiful and ec-umenical Chevetogne Abbey, after which we visited AachenCathedral just across the border.

I particularly wanted to go on a monastic retreat becauseI had gone to school at Ampleforth College, a BenedictineRoman Catholic school attached to an abbey in the country-side of North Yorkshire. It was my time at Ampleforth whichintroduced me to Roman Catholicism (and, perhaps, my par-ticular appreciation of the catholic tradition in the Church ofEngland). I attended Mass and sung in the choir, and I oftenattended Compline since the monastic offices were also open

to everyone. As a student, I had been on a number of retreatsorganized by the school, both with my house and my school’syear group. But what would a monastic retreat in a smallergroup as a prospective ordinand in the Church of England belike?

Chevetogne Abbey is beautifully set just outside a smallvillage in the countryside not far from a city, rather like Am-pleforth. The community, true to their Benedictine identityand rule, extended a warm welcome to us as soon as we ar-rived. They invited us to attend all of the services as wewished, and we ate together with them at mealtimes. Theirhospitality extended further still: some of the monks showed

us around the monastery and grounds, explaining the historyof the community along the way. We even learned how tomake incense in their workshop, and brought some back hometo use at St Michael’s, Croydon! Most importantly, we spentmuch time with the monks in conversation; we formed friend-ships, with our shared interest and desire for further ecu-menism.

Chevetogne is a monastery where both Eastern and West-ern traditions of Christianity meet, a crucial aspect of themonastery’s ecumenical life. The community worships in two

Chevetogne is a monastery where both Eastern and western traditions of Christian-ity meet, a crucial aspect of the monastery’s

ecumenical life.

I found the retreat both restful and restorative, and I am already looking

forward to visiting again in the future.


different places: those in the Western traditionworship in the Latin church, while those of theEastern tradition worship in the Byzantinechurch. But they remain as one community; theyall share mealtimes together, and—perhaps mostsignificantly—they live under the direction of oneabbott.

We attended Mass and Compline in the Latinchurch, and while the services were in French,these were very easy to follow: it was immediatelyobvious as to what was happening. While Matinsand Vespers in the Byzantine crypt were less fa-miliar to us, we realised the monks there prayedessentially the same things as we do at Morningand Evening Prayer back at St Michael’s, and it wasso interesting to get a taste of how Christians inthe Eastern tradition pray these offices. The offices were veryelaborate; much of the language went over my head (being ina mixture of French and Slavonic) but—thinking of us presentin the congregation—some of the monks very kindly said a fewprayers in English for us. Regardless of our lack of familiaritywith the languages, the monks were still praying for us, andwith us.

I think one of the biggest differences in Eastern servicesto Western services is how many people walk in and out asthey wish during an Eastern service. Services in the Easterntradition, on the whole, are significantly longer than Westernservices, sometimes being twice as long or more. Timekeepingwas, thus, a key difference; while you would normally attenda whole service in the West, in the East you can attend it all orjust come to as much of the service as you feel or require—likerecharging your camera batteries, or refuelling your car.

The monastic offices marked the beginning and end ofeach day, providing a routine of stability around our days oth-erwise filled with a rich variety of activities and times in si-lence. Praying and eating often happened in sequence; in the

morning for instance, Matins and Mass would be followedbreakfast; lunch would be eaten immediately after saying theMidday Office, and supper would punctuate Vespers andCompline.

We lived a very monastic lifestyle during our time atChevetogne. We stayed in simple yet perfectly comfortablerooms, we wore cassocks when in the monastery and aroundthe grounds, and I also found I had more time to do things likereading, writing, occasionally visiting the two churches forsome more silent prayer, and of course a run in the valley. Trueto what I had desired in this retreat, we spent as much time insilence as we did in prayer and worship. Furthermore, while Ihad taken my mobile phone with me, I chose to keep it on ‘air-plane mode.’ I was thus free from any distractions from theoutside world, which—given the United Kingdom’s politicalsituation at the time—was quite refreshing! I think it’s goodthat we experienced the monastic life as fully as possible duringour retreat, in many ways; indeed, we spent a few days livingpretty much as monks.

En route home, we took the opportunity to visit AachenCathedral (with both Chevetogne and Aachen being close tothe Belgian-German border). We were made most welcomeby the cathedral staff, who very kindly showed us around on aguided tour they ran specially for us. There are a number ofvery sacred relics kept in the cathedral and in the museumnearby, probably the largest collection of relics I’ve seen in oneplace so far. During our tour, we saw the Throne of Charle-magne, a large stone structure composed of a large chair atopsome steps. It came from the palace of Pontius Pilate inJerusalem; these may be the very same steps that Jesus Christhimself walked on, when he was led up to be presented by Pi-late to the crowd at his trial. How very moving and powerfulindeed.

After attending Mass and visiting the cathedral’s museumand shop, we returned to England. I found this retreat bothrestful and restorative, and I am already looking forward tovisiting again in the future. Have you ever been on a retreat?If not, would you consider going on one? How might a retreathelp you to become closer to God?

Will Lyon Tupman is a Pastoral Assistant at St Michael’s, Croydon.You can read his blog at wlyontupman.blogspot.com

ND

Salve Regina and her three companions are often called theMarian Anthems or Antiphons. They are:

• Alma Redemptoris Mater (‘Gracious Mother of ourRedeemer’) which is sung through Advent and Christmasuntil Candlemas.

• Ave Regina caelorum (‘Queen of heaven we hail you’) whichis sung from Candlemas to Maundy Thursday. It iscustomary not to sing it again until Easter (but theantiphon can be said even kneeling.)

• Regina caeli laetare (‘O Queen of heaven be joyful’) sungthrough Easter-tide until Trinity Sunday.

• Salve Regina mater misericordiae (‘Mary we hail you Motherand Queen compassionate’) which is sung from TrinitySunday until Advent.

The terms ‘antiphon’ and ‘anthem’ come from the sameetymological root, with ‘anthem’ being the anglicized versionof the word ‘antiphon.’ Perhaps they should be called the finalantiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Antiphonae FinalesB.V.M) as they are most usually sung or recited after Compline,the last office of the day (now often called the Night Office).They are extended Marian antiphons, longer than those forpsalms and canticles on Marian feast days. In addition SalveRegina has been used as the antiphon for the Magnificat at StGall. As such they do not form part of the original churchoffice, but were added to the breviary later, contributing to theliturgical and mystical meaning of Mariology. In reality,Marian antiphons are included in other Marian liturgy. SalveRegina is the flag ship and possibly the oldest of the AntiphonaeFinales B.V.M., with manuscript evidence from the eleventhcentury. As such it has sailed majestically through the Middle

Ages ahead of its flotilla of other Marian antiphons. This gaverise to the liturgical genre of Salve ceremonies. It could includea procession to a Marian shrine, statue or altar with an addedversicle and response and possibly a collect. Sprinkling withholy water may be added before retiring. In monastic houseswhere the choir was not visible from the main body of thechurch this became popular. The Dominicans were renownedfor this extra liturgy with the possibility of the procession beingled by acolytes and/or members of the community carryingcandles. A specifically Dominican feature could include thesinging of O Lumen Ecclesiae (the antiphon for the Magnificatfor the feast of St Dominic) as they once again left sight of thecongregation.

The four principal Antiphonae Finales B.V.M. are sung inrotation throughout the liturgical year. In 1350, Pope ClementVI included the Marian anthems for use in the Roman Officebut the custom did not become obligatory until 1563 underPope Pius V who also gave them their seasonal pattern. TheBreviary of Pius V in 1568 made it obligatory to recite SalveRegina after Compline and after Lauds on Sundays fromTrinity to Advent. From 1884 to 1964 it was also required thatit was said after Low Mass.

Hail Holy Queen!John Gayford considers the Marian antiphons to be sung after Compline

The terms ‘antiphon’ and ‘anthem’ comefrom the same etymological root, with anthem being the anglicized version of

the word ‘antiphon.’


Salve Regina et al.Marian antiphons to be sung aer Compline and on other occasions.

By John Gayford 2019

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail our life, oursweetness and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banishedchildren of Eve. To you do we send our sighs, mourningand weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then most graciousadvocate, your eyes of mercy towards us, and aer this,our exile, show us to the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.


Historically, other antiphons have been used instead of theabove. The most noted and by far the oldest is Sub tuumpraesidum (‘Under your protection’). The Marian antiphonsare examples of charming Marian piety expressed in elegantGregorian chant. There is evidence that the Marian antiphonshave been use to teach pious children both a love of Mary andof Latin, as is recounted by the tragic story told by the Prioressin Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Mary is addressed with love andwarmth as both queen and mother. It has now becomecustomary to sing any of the four Marian antiphons at anytime of the year.

Regrettably the origin of the Salve Regina is obscure withmore legend than substantiated historical fact. It is hard todecide if some of the antiphons used in the Salve liturgy werecomposed for the purpose or were taken from antiphons thathad been used for the Magnificat or other Marian material inprevious liturgy. Some can be traced back to the ninth century.

The Sub tuum praesidium was for many years thought to beof medieval origin, but in 1917 the John Rylands Library,Manchester, acquired a fragment of Greek text that has beenidentified as a very early version (third or fourth century) ofwhat is known in Latin as the Marian antiphon Sub tuumpraesidium.

A number of suggestions have been made as to thecomposers of the Marian antiphons, including Athanasius,John Damascene, Petrus Martinez de Monsoncio (Bishop ofCompostela 986–1000) and St Bernard of Clairvaux, but wehave to admit there is little foundation. St Bernard is reputedto have added the words ‘O Clemens.’ Much attention has beenpaid to Hermannus Contractus as the author of both the SalveRegina and the Alma Redemptoris and, although it would seemhe had the ability, the hard evidence is lacking. HermannusContractus: ‘Hermann the Lame’ or ‘Cripple,’ and also knownas Hermann of Reichenau (1013–54). In spite of his physicalinfirmity, he was educated at the monastery of Reichenau ona small island in the western part of Lake Constance, animportant centre of culture when St Gall was still insignificant.He later entered the community and was a renowned scholaron a wide range of subjects including mathematics, musicchronology and astronomy. Added to this he was a gifted poetso he was assumed to have had the ability to write both theSalve Regina and the Alma Redemptoris. In 1096, Adhemar,Bishop of Le Puy, who had been a knight, was given permissionto lead the First Crusade, and it is reputed he composed theSalve Regina as a song to the Queen of Heaven as a marchingsong asking for her protection. As such it was called the‘Anthem of Le Puy.’

There is evidence that the Salve Regina had beenintroduced into the liturgy at Cluny by 1135, where it wassung in procession and also used as an antiphon to theMagnificat and even to the Benedictus on Marian feasts. Theuse of the Salve Regina as an antiphon to Our Lady afterCompline was started by the Dominicans in 1221 and rapidlyspread to other religious orders. The various religious ordershad a number of different melodies for the Salve Regina andthey have their own distinct way of using the antiphon. TheFranciscans sang all four Marian antiphons after Lauds andCompline, while the Carthusians used them after Lauds andVespers. Premonstratensians sang the Salve Regina eachmorning in procession from the Chapter House to the Choir.

Gregorian Chant versions of these antiphons can be foundin Latin in Antiphonale Monasticum published for theBenedictine Abbey of Solesmes in 1934. English GregorianChant versions are found in the Monastic Diurnal notedby Winfred Douglas for St Mary’s Convent Wisconsin in1952.

‘Salve Regina, mater misericordiae’We greet you, Queen and merciful mother, and greet ourlife, our solace and our hope. Eve’s banished children call to you. We long for you, wemourn and weep in this vale of tears. So, therefore, turntowards us your compassionate gaze as our advocate. And when this our exile is over, show us Jesus, your blessedchild.O our gentle, reconciling and dearest Virgin Mary.

‘Alma Redemptoris mater’Bountiful Mother of the Redeemer, abiding as the highwayinto heaven and the sea’s guiding star, who comes quicklyto aid the fallen, struggling to rise: the world was astonishedyou were to bear your holy Creator when, Virgin first andlast, Gabriel’s lips pronounced his greeting, havecompassion on our sins.

‘Ave Regina caelorum’We greet the Queen of the heavens, greet the Lady of theAngels; hail O source, O doorway through which the Lightwas born. Rejoice, O glorious Virgin, beautiful above allother; fare you well, most gracious, and intercede for uswith Christ.

‘Regina caeli’Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia: because he whom youwere worthy to bear, alleluia, has risen just as he said,alleluia: pray for us to God, alleluia!

‘Sub tuum praesidium confugimus’Together we hurry to your protection, holy Mother ofGod: do not despise our prayers in our need: but free usalways from the threat of danger, glorious and blessedVirgin.

Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei genitrix: nostrasdeprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus: sed a periculiscunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta.

The Salve Regina, like the other Marian antiphons to be sung after Compline, is

well served by the melodies in Gregorianchant, as they have been sung through

many centuries.


The Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary (now known as theServites), founded in 1233, sang the Salve Regina after eachoffice and after meals. To give the Salve Regina greater honourthe Carmelites began their singing on their knees except onfestivals. They also lit candles before the statue of the VirginMary where the liturgy took place. Most orders did not singthe Ave Regina Caelorum on Holy Thursday and Good Fridaybut said it instead. By 1328 the Carmelites were singing SalveRegina after every canonical hour and after Mass. There wasa time when they used the Salve Regina instead of the LastGospel at the end of Mass. The Cistercians reflect St Bernard’slove of Mary and are known to have sung the Salve Regina aftercompline at Clairvaux since 1251, but they may have sung thisat Citeaux before that. Nevertheless it was the Cistercians whopopularized the custom of greeting Our Lady at the end ofCompline.

The use of the Salve Regina was not confined to monasticuse: secular use was both private and public. Most ‘Books ofHours’ contained the Salve Regina and sometimes otherMarian antiphons. How frequently the Salve Regina ceremonyor liturgy took place in parish churches varied a great deal. Itmight be sung on a Saturday evening before a statue of OurLady or an altar dedicated to her. In addition it might be sungon the vigil of feasts dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.Candles would be lit and there would be a procession. Willshave been found where money was left to pay for the candlesand even the singers, that the donor might be remembered atthe Salve liturgy. Guilds were formed sometimes with theirown chapels to support the Salve liturgy and chaplainsappointed with a stipend, so that Marian masses could be saidon a regular basis.

The Salve Regina, like the other Marion antiphons to besung after Compline, is well served by the melodies inGregorian chant, as they have been sung through manycenturies. There are minor musical variations as sung by thedifferent religious orders, both simple (in cantu simplici) andsolemn formats. The simple are the best known and morewidely used and probably the oldest. As would be expected,the solemn formats are musically more complex or ornate andrequire higher expertise of performance but are well worth theeffort. The best known are to be found in AntiphonaleMonasticum as used by the Benedictines. Fine recordings of allthese antiphons are available, both of the simple and solemnformat, usually sung by religious communities. There aremusical Gregorian chant versions of these antiphons inEnglish both in the simple and solemn format (as published inThe Monastic Diurnal Noted) but these are not so commonlyused and therefore less well known than the original Latin.The text of these ancient antiphons has undergone manydifferent translations into English. Latin scholars may preferto make their own and others with a good Latin/Englishdictionary can be critical of some of the existing translations.Polyphonic musical versions especially of Salve Regina havebeen composed in various formats.

The Society of the Holy Cross (Societas Sanctae Crucis:SSC), founded in 1855 by Fr Charles Lowder and otherAnglican priests, has endeavoured where possible to sing thesimple version of Salve Regina in Latin as the final farewell to

a brother priest at the end of his funeral requiem. Salve Reginais a fitting way of ending one’s days and life, with a sense ofMary’s role in salvation history both personally andcollectively. The words of these antiphons require somereflection as to their theology, perhaps despite their fondfamiliarity.

Fr John Gayford is a retired priest.

Suggested further reading:Crichton, J.C., Our Lady in Liturgy, Columbia Press, Dublin,1997O’Carroll, M., ‘Salve Regina’ in Theotokos: A TheologicalEncyclopaedia of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fowler Wright BooksLimited, Leominster, 1986.

Salve Regina(Solemn Benedictine Tone)

We greet you, Queen and merciful mother, and greet our life, our sol-ace and our hope.

Eve’s banished children ca to you. We long for you, we mourn andweep in this vale of tears. So, therefore, turn towards us your compas-sionate gaze as our Advocate.

And when this our exile is over, show us Jesus, your blessed child.

O our gentle, reconciling and dearest Virgin Mary.


touching placeS. PETER, wOOTTEN wAwEN, wARKS

I GIVE to FORWARD IN FAITH of 2A The Cloisters, GordonSquare, London WC1H 0AG the sum of ___________________pounds (£ ) and I DIRECT that the receipt of the Treas-urer or other proper officer of Forward in Faith shall be goodand sufficient discharge to my Executor.

or I GIVE the residue of my estate to FORWARD IN FAITH of2A The Cloisters, Gordon Square, London WC1H 0AG and I DI-RECT that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer ofForward in Faith shall be good and sufficient discharge to my Ex-ecutor.

Forms of words for making a bequest to FiF in your Will

Wootten Wawen is one of those compli-cated buildings that rewards carefulattention. At its core is a Saxon cen-

tral tower, around which has grown a series of ac-cretions. The 11th c. nave and chancel have beenextended with a 13th c. S aisle, 14th c. S chapel and15th c. clerestory to the nave. Today there are threedistinct liturgical spaces – a nave with altar underthe tower, the chapel and the chancel.

Enter through the S porch, and you see a recog-nisably late-mediaeval arrangement of screened-off chapels flanking the tower arch, once thechapels of the Holy Cross and S Gregory. The pul-pit is mediaeval.

Pass along the S aisle into the side chapel,largely occupied by the unliturgical though inter-esting exhibition, and you notice a splendid early17th century monument to Francis Smith (1522-1605), featuring his figure, recumbent on one elbowand gazing at a disused riddel-posted altar withsome surprise. Warwickshire south of Birminghamhad more than its share of Catholic recusants afterthe mid-16th century, and the Smiths of WoottonHall were no exception, sheltering a Jesuit missionin their house.

In contrast is the classical monument, withGothic overtones, to John Phillips (1759-1836). Be-hind the altar is another interesting monument, anurn to Henry Knight (1675-1744), cashier of theSouth Sea Company until the Bubble burst in 1720,upon which he rapidly fled England for Paris, withenough money to start a bank. If you know whatyou are looking for, an old church is an unrivalledsocial document.

Map reference: SP153633Simon Cotton

LONDON SE11 4BB St Agnes Kennington Park, St AgnesPlace. Under the Episcopal care of the Bishop of Fulham. 8 minuteswalk from both Kennington and the Oval tube stations (Northern line)Sunday: 10am Solemn Mass. Daily Mass: Mon to Fri 10am - BibleStudy after Mass on Wed. stagneskenningtonpark.co.uk 0207820 8050 [email protected]

LONDON SE13 St Stephen, Lewisham (opposite LewishamStation) A Forward in Faith Parish under the episcopal care of theBishop of Fulham. Sunday: Mass 8am, Parish Mass 10am. Week-days: Mon 10am, Tues 9am, Wed 12.15pm, Thurs 10.15am, Fri12.15pm, Sat 10am Parish Priest: Fr Philip Corbett - 07929750054LONDON SE18 St Nicholas - the Ancient Parish Church- St Nicholas Road, Plumstead. A Society Parish under the episcopalcare of the Bishop of Fulham. Masses: Solemn Sung 11am; Mon12 noon; Tu es 12 noon; Wed 9.30am; Fri 12 noon; Sat 10am. Ex-position of the Blessed Sacrament half an hour before every Massapart from Sunday. Modern rite, traditional ceremonial. ParishPriest: Fr Andrew Stevens 020 8854 0461LONDON SE 26 All Saints, Sydenham A Society Parishunder the care of the Bishop of Fulham. Grade II listed Churchwith stunning Fellowes-Pryne interior. Sunday - 10.30am SolemnMass with Sunday School. Weekday Services as advertised. ParishPriest Fr.Philip Smith 0208 7783065. LONDON Sw1 St Gabriel, Pimlico Sunday: Mass 8am; SungParish Mass 10:30am. 6pm (& 5pm Wed) Choral Evensong(termtime). 7.30pm Mass. Midweek Mass: Tues 9.30am, Wed7pm, Thurs 7:30am, Fri 10am, Sat 9:30am. www.st-gabriels.comLONDON Sw7 St Stephen, Gloucester Road (entrance in South-well Gardens) A Fulham Jurisdiction Parish. Modern rite, traditionalceremonial, gospel preaching and good music. Sunday: Masses9am and 11am (Solemn). Daily Mass: Tues 12.30pm, Wed 7pm,Thur 8am, Fri 12.30pm, Sat 10am. Holy Hour: first and third Fri-days 9.30am. Rosary - 2nd and 4th Saturday at 10.30am. Fr.PhilipBarnes SSC Contact: 020 7370 3418 www.saint-stephen.org.ukLONDON Sw11 The Ascension, Lavender Hill. Famous andflourishing ABC Parish, in the Fulham Jurisdiction. Inspiringliturgy with modern rites, traditional ceremonial, fervent preach-ing and good music. Sunday: High Mass 11am. Weekday Mass:Wednesday 7.30pm. Rosary: Saturday 11.30am. SOLW Cell organ-ises pilgrimage, social and fundraising activities. Parish Priest: FrIain Young 020 7228 5340LONDON Sw19 All Saints, South Wimbledon. Society ParishUnder the Episcopal Care of the Bishop of Fulham. Sunday SolemnMass 11am. For other masses and services contact Fr ChristopherNoke 020 8948 7986, the church office 020 8542 5514 or seewww.allsaintswimbledon.org.uk/LONDON wC1 Christ the King, Gordon Square The Forwardin Faith Church. Mon to Fri: Mass at 12.30pm, plus: Thur at 12noon: Angelus followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacramentuntil 12.25pm. Other services: as announced. Contact the FiF Of-fice on 020 7388 3588 or email:[email protected] St John the Baptist, Lound. Society Parishunder the Episcopal oversight of the Bishop of Richborough.. Awarm welcome awaits you at our listed medieval building with asuperb interior by Sir Ninian Comper. Sung Mass on the first, sec-ond, and third Sundays of the month.wwwloundworship.co.ukMANCHESTER Failsworth The Church of the Holy Family.A Society Parish. Sunday Mass : 9.15am. For other Sunday andWeekday Services or further information please contact Fr.PaulHutchins on 0161 681 3644MANCHESTER The Parish of Swinton and Pendlebury:All Saints, Wardley; Saint Augustine, Pendlebury; SaintPeter, Swinton. A Society Parish. Sunday Masses: 8am and5.30pm (SP), Sung at 9.30am (AS), 10.30am (SP) and 11am (SA).Daily Mass in Parish. Priest Jeremy Sheehy 0161 794 1578, ParishOffice: 0161 727 8175 email: [email protected] The Church of St Columba Sunday:Mass 9.30am. Daily Mass. St John the Evangelist SundayMass 11am. For further information contact Fr Stephen Cooper01642 824779

NORTH YORK MOORS S. Leonard, Loftus and S. Helen,Carlin How. Situated on the Cleveland Coast. Sunday - Mass at CarlinHow 9am and at Loftus 10.30am. Further details on our websitewww.loftusparish.co.uk Parish Priest Fr. Adam Gaunt 01287644047OXFORD St John the Evangelist, New Hinksey (1 mile fromthe city centre; Vicarage Road, OX1 4RE) A Society Parish under thecare of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sunday: Parish Mass 10.30am.Contact - 01 865 241099 or www. acny.org.uk/467 Come anddiscover Oxford’s hidden Comper Church!PLYMOUTH SACRED HEART, ST JOHN THE EVANGEL-IST, wITH ST SIMON, AND ST MARY THE VIRGIN. ASociety Parish under the Episcopal Care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet.St John, Sunday 11am (sung), Thursday 10am (said); St Mary,Sunday 9.30am (said), Wednesday 11am (said); St Simon, Tues-day 10am (said). Feast days as appropriate. Pastoral care -Fr.S.Philpott. email: [email protected]: [email protected]. sacredheartplymouth.co.ukPORTSMOUTH The Ascension and St Saviour, SocietyParishes under the Bishop of Richborough. The Ascension PO20JG, Parish Mass 11am. Low Mass: Thursday 7pm. St Saviour PO28PB, Parish Mass 9.30am. Low Mass: Monday 10am, Wednes-day 11.30am, Friday 7pm. Solemn Evensong and Benediction(last Sunday) 5pm. Modern rite, traditional ceremonial. Fr Ben-jamin Weitzmann SSC 02392439711www.ascensionportsmouth.org.ukREADING St Giles-in-Reading, Southampton Street (next tothe Oracle). Medieval church. Forward in Faith, affiliated with TheSociety. Sunday: Mattins - 10am; Parish Mass with Sunday School- 10.30am; Evensong - 5.30pm; Low Mass 6pm. Daily Offices andDaily Mass. Friday Bible Study at 11.30am. Regular study groups,see our website.. Parish Priest: Fr David Harris 0118 957 2831www.sgilesreading.org.ukST.LEONARD'S-on-SEA Christ Church with St MaryMagdalen and St.Peter and St.Paul. Daily Mass 10:30am and6pm. Sunday Mass 8am Parish Mass 10:15am. Contact: Parish Of-fice 01 424 447784 www.christchurchstleonards.co.ukSALISBURY St Martin – the oldest Church in Salisbury. Wecan be found in St. Martin’s Church Street just over the inner cityring road. Walk up St. Ann Street from the Close and through thetunnel. A Society Parish under the episcopal care of the Bishop ofEbbsfleet.Sunday: Mass at 8:00am, Parish Mass at 10:30am. Forfurther information about the Daily Office, weekday mass andconfession see www.sarumstmartin.org.uk. or call01722503123. Parish Priest: Fr. David Fisher. 01722 500896SCARBOROUGH St Saviour with All Saints, Parish affili-ated to the Society of Ss Wilfrid and Hilda and under the EpisopalCare of the Bishop of Beverley. Sunday Mass 9.15am with refresh-ments to follow. Evening Prayer and Benediction 4.00pm on thefirst Sunday of the month. Sunday of the month. Weekdaymasses: Monday 2pm Thursday 10.15am. Major Festivals timesvary. Fr David Dixon 01723 [email protected] stsaviour-scarborough.org.ukSEAHAM: COUNTY DURHAM S John, Seaham HarbourSR7 7SA (with All Saints Deneside & S Mary’s Seaham)Sunday 11.00am Solemn Mass & Sunday School (9.30am SolemnMass All Saints & 1st Sun 11.00am Sung Mass S Mary’s) 5.00pmSolemn Evensong & Benediction (2nd Sun). Mass Mon, Wed, Fri,Sat, 9.30am & Tues 6.00pm S Johns Thurs, 9.30am All Saints, Sat10.30am S Mary’s. Exposition of Blessed Sacrament Wed 8.45am– 9.15am S John’s: Confessions by arrangements with Priests.Parish of The Society in the Episcopal Care of the Bishop of Bever-ley. Clergy: Fr Paul Kennedy SSC 0191 3665496 Fr Mark Mawhin-ney 0191 5816774 Fr Chris Collins 0191 5817186. www.stjohns-seaham.org.uk

SHREwSBURY All Saints with St Michael, North Street(near Shrewsbury railway station). A Society Parish under the episco-pal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Resolutions ABC. Sunday: Mass10.30am. For daily Mass times or further information, contactFr.Paul Lockett SSC 01 743 357862SPENNYMOOR, CO. DURHAM St Andrew, TudhoeGrange, DL16 6NE A parish of the Society, under the care of theBishop of Beverley; Sundays: 9am Sung Mass, Last Sunday of themonth - 10.30- 12 noon "Messy Church" in the hall for children

and families, 6pm Evensong (with Benediction on 1st Sunday ofmonth); Weekday Masses: Tues 7pm, Thurs 9.30am.Parish Priest:Fr John Livesley SSC - 01388 814817STOKE-ON-TRENT, LONGTON SS Mary and Chad. ASociety Parish. Sunday: Parish Mass 10am. Weekdays: Mon 10am,Tues 6.30pm, Wed 10am, Thur 11.30am, Fri 6.30pm. Confessionsafter any Mass or by appointment. Fr Kevin Palmer - Parish Office- 01782 313142 - www.ssmaryandchad.comSTOKE-ON-TRENT, SMALLTHORNE St Saviour. Soci-ety. Convenient for Alton Towers & the Potteries. Parish Mass Sun-day 11.00am. For details of Children's Church see website.Weekdays: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 09.30, Wednesdaynoon. Contact Fr.Andrew Swift 01 782 827889 - [email protected] www.smallthorne.org twitter@SSavioursSUNDERLAND St Mary Magdalene, Wilson Street, Millfield.A Society Parish under the episcopal care of the Bishop of Bever-ley. Sunday: Parish Mass 10.30am, Benediction 6.30pm, Mass7pm. Weekdays Mass: Mon and Wed 10.30am, Tues and Thur7.30pm, Fri 7.30am, Sat 10am. Rosary Thur 7.15pm, Sat 6.15pm.Confessions: Sat 6.30pm or by appointment. Parish Priest: FrBeresford Skelton 0191 565 6318 www.st-marymagdalene.co.uk Visit our Facebook pageSUNDERLAND St.Aidan, Ryhope Road,Sunderland ,SR29RS. A Parish of the Society under the Episcopal care of the Bishopof Beverley. Sunday: Sung Mass 10.00 am, Evensong 6.00 pm.(Benediction last Sunday of the month 6.00 pm). WeekdayMasses: Mon, Wed, Sat 9.30am, Tues 1.00pm, Thurs 7.30, Fri8.30am. Rosary Mon 5.30 pm. Confessions Sat 6.15 pm or by ap-pointment. Contact: Fr David Raine SSC: 0191 5143485, [email protected] All Saints, Benhilton A Parish of the Society in thecare of the Bishop of Fulham. Sunday: Low Mass 8am, SolemnMass 9.30am. Weekdays Low Mass: Monday and Tues 7.30am,Wed 7.30pm, Thurs 10am, Fri 7.30am, Sat 10am. For further in-formation please contact Fr David Chislett SSC: 07860 636 270.Churchwardens: Linda Roots 020 8644 7271, Carolyn Melius 0208642 4276SwINDON Parish of Swindon New Town A Society Parishunder the episcopal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sundaymasses: 6.00pm Saturday S. Mark's (First Mass of Sunday),9.00amS. Saviour's; 11am S. Luke's. Weekday masses as advertised. Con-tact 01793 538220 [email protected] Holy Trinity, Trinity St,Taunton,TA1 3JG. SocietyParish. Modern Catholic liturgy. Musical tradition. Sunday Serv-ices 8,10 & 6.30. Daily Mass. Fr Julian Laurence SSC, Vicar, FrAdam Burnham SSC, Curate. See website for full details of serv-ices and events holytrinitytaunton.orgTIPTON, west Midlands St John the Evangelist,Upper Church Lane, DY4 9ND. A Society Parish under the episcopalcare of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sunday 9.30am Mass; 11.00am'The Eleven' Mass with Sunshine Club for children; 4pm EveningPrayer. Daily Mass: Monday & Thursday 7.30pm; Wednesday9.30am; Friday 6pm; Saturday 10am & Confessions at 10.30am.Parish Priest: Fr Simon Sayer CMP 0121 679 7510TIVIDALE, Oldbury, west Midlands St. Michaelthe Archangel, Tividale Road and Holy Cross, Ashleigh Road. So-ciety Parish. Sunday Worship: Parish Mass 11am (St.Michael's),Evening Mass 6pm (Holy Cross). Contact Fr.Martin Ennis 01 384257888 [email protected],www.vicaroftividale.co.ukwALSALL St Gabriel’s, Fullbrook, Walstead Road, Walsall, offJunc.7 or 9 of M6. A Society Parish. Sunday: 8am Mass, 10am ParishMass, 4pm Evening Prayer, 5pm Evening Mass. Daily Mass. ParishPriest: Fr Mark McIntyre 01922 622583wALSINGHAM St Mary & All Saints, Church Street. A Societyand Forward in Faith Parish under the Episcopal care of the Bishopof Richborough. Sunday: Solemn Mass, 11.00 am Weekdays:please see www.walsinghamparishes.org.uk Contact: Fr HarriWilliams SSC, 01328 821316

wEDNESBURY, west Bromwich St Francis of Assisi,Friar Park WS10 0HJ (5 minutes from junc 9 of M6) Sunday: Mass9.45am. Weekday Mass: Tues and Thur 9.30am, Wed and Fri7.30pm, Sat 10am. Lively worship in the Modern Catholic Tradi-tion, with accessible preaching, and a stunning gem of a churchbeautifully restored. Parish Priest: Fr Ron Farrell SSC: 0121 5565823 Visit us at www. saintfrancisfriarpark.com

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parish directorycontinued


wELLINGBOROUGH St Mary the Virgin, Knox Road(near BR station) A Society Parish under the episcopal care of theBishop of Richborough. Sunday: Mass 10.30am. Daily Mass andOffice. For further information see our Website: www. stmary-wellingborough.org.uk

wEST KIRBY S. Andrew, Meols Drive, Wirral, CH48 5DQ. Sun-day 8:00 am Low Mass; 10:30 am Sung Mass; Evensong 6:00 pmThird Sunday. Daily Mass. Traditional ceremonial with a warmwelcome. Safe harbour in Wirral and Cheshire West, visitors wel-come. Parish of The Society under the Pastoral Care of The Bishopof Beverley Parish Priest Fr. Walsh. 0151 632 4728, www.stan-drewswestKirby.co.uk e-mail: [email protected]

wESTON super MARE All Saints with St Saviour, AllSaints Road, BS23 2NL. A Member of the Society under the episco-pal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet - All are welcome. Sundays:9am Mass, 10.30am Parish Mass. Weekdays: 10am Mass (Wed,Thur and Sat). Priest-in-Charge: Fr Andrew Hughes SSC 01934204217 [email protected] - Parish Office 01934 415379 [email protected] Visit our website www.all-saintswsm.org

wEYMOUTH St Paul, Abbotsbury Road DT4 0BJ Under theepiscopal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sundays (usually):Parish Mass 9.30am (creche and Sunday school); Informal Eu-charist 11.15am; EP & Benediction 5pm (1st Sunday). For timesof daily and Holyday masses see www.stpaulsweymouth.orgor ring parish office 01305 771217 [email protected]

wINCHESTER Holy Trinity. A Society Church under theEpiscopal care of the Bishop of Richborough. Sunday: Sung Mass10.30am. Weekday Masses: Thur 12 noon. Contact: Churchwar-dens: Barbara Smith 01264 720887 or John Purver 01 962732351 - email: office@holytrinitywinches ter.co.uk - website:www.holytrinitywinchester.co.uk

wOLVERHAMPTON St Paul’s, Church Lane, Coven WV9 5DE.A Society Parish under the episcopal care of the Bishop of Ebbs-fleet. Sunday Parish Mass 9.15am, Wed Low Mass 10.30am.Other services as announced on the Website. Further details andinformation contact Fr Simon Iredale on 01902 791923 or 07847280162 [email protected]

YORK All Saints, North Street (near Park Inn Hotel) A SocietyParish. Sunday: Low Mass 10.30 am, Sung or High Mass 5.30pm,Thursday Low Mass 12.45 pm. Visitors to this beautiful medievalchurch are always welcome; the church is normally open duringdaylight hours. - website: www. allsaints-northstreet.org.uk

YORKSHIRE near Skipton. Three rural churches whichmake up The Society parish of the Yorkshire Dales. Sundays:THORNTON St Mary Sung Mass, modern rite 9.15am.MARTON St Peter Prayer Book Holy Communion 10.45am.BROUGHTON All Saints Evensong 7pm. HOLY wELLSaturdays at Noon, summer. Canon Nicholas Turner ssc , Fr.AlexLadds ssc 01282 842332 bmtparish.co.uk

FiF, DIOCESE OF BIRMINGHAMSociety Parishes King-standing St Luke 0121 354 3281, Kingstanding St Mark 0121 3607288, Small Heath All Saints 0121 772 0621, Sparkbrook St Agatha0121 449 2790, Washwood Heath St Mark & Saltley St Saviour*0121 328 9855

FiF, DIOCESE OF CANTERBURYSociety parishes Deal StAndrew 01 304 381131, Folkestone St Peter 01303 254472, Har-bledown St Michael 01227 479377, Lydden St Mary 01 304830044, Maidstone St Michael 01622 721123, Ramsgate Holy Trin-ity 01843 863425, Rough Common St.Gabriel 01227 479377, Tem-ple Ewell St. Peter & St. Paul 01304 822850FiF, DIOCESE OF CHESTER Chester St Oswald and St Thomasof Canterbury, Fr.Stephen Sheridan 01 244 399990; Congleton StJames the Great, Society, Fr Colin Sanderson 01260 408203; CreweSt Barnabas, Society, Fr Ralph Powell 01270 212418; Crewe StMichael, Coppenhall, Society, vacant 01270 215151; Knutsford StJohn the Baptist, Society, Rev Nigel Atkinson 01565632834/755160; Liscard St Thomas the Apostle, Society, Fr RobertNelson 0151 630 2830, Stockport St Peter, Society, Fr Kenneth Ken-rick 0161 483 2483; West Kirby St Andrew, Society, Fr Peter Walsh0151 632 4728

FiF, DIOCESE OF COVENTRYCoventry Centre: St John theBaptist (Fr Dexter Bracey 024 7671 1687); Holbrooks: St Luke (FrSimon Oakes 024 7668 8604); Radford: St Nicholas (Fr.AndrewColeman 024 7636 6635); Ansty: St James & Shilton: St Andrew (FrAndrew Coleman 024 7636 6635); Nuneaton: St Mary theVirgin(Fr.Tom Wintle 024 7638 2936).FiF, DIOCESE OF DERBY Calow: St.Peter, Fr.Kevin Ball, 01 246462192; Derby: St Anne, Churchwarden Alison Haslam 01 332362392; St Luke, Fr.Leonard Young SSC 01 332 342806; StBartholomew, Fr.Leonard Young SSC 01 332 342806; Hasland StPaul and Temple Normanton St James vacant 01246 232486; Ilke-ston Holy Trinity, Fr.Tom Barnfather SSC (Associate Priest) 07570597 873; Long Eaton St Laurence, Fr Giles Orton SSC (Assistant Cu-rate) 07768 827101; Staveley St John Baptist with Inkersall StColumba and Barrow Hill St Andrew: Fr.Stephen Jones, 01 246498603 DIOCESE OF EXETERFiF Recommended Parishes: Abbot-sham St Helen, Churchwarden 01 237 470447; Babbacombe AllSaints, Fr P.Jones 01803 323002; Barnstaple St Peter, Fr DFletcher 01271 373837; Bovey Tracey St John, Churchwarden 01626 821956 ; Exeter St Michael & All Angels, Heavitree; StLawrence, Lower Hill Barton Rd; St Paul, Burnthouse Lane; StMary Steps, West Street, Fr R Eastoe 01392 677150; Great Tor-rington St Michael, Taddiport St Mary Magdalene, Fr.P.Bevan -01805 622166; Lewtrenchard St Peter, vacancy 01566 784008;Newton Abbot St Luke, Milber, Fr.N.Debney 01 626 681259;Paignton St John the Baptist with St Andrew & St Boniface Fr RCarlton 01803 351866; Plymouth St Peter and the Holy ApostlesFr.D.Way - 01 752 222007; Plymouth Mission Community of OurLady of Glastonbury St Francis, Honicknowle, St Chad, Whitleigh,St Aidan, Ernesettle, Fr D Bailey 01752 773874; Plymouth SacredHeart Mission Community Parishes St John the Evangelist; Sut-ton-on-Plym ; St Mary the Virgin, Laira; St.Simon, Mount Gould,Fr.Philpott, e-mail [email protected]; Plymouth DiscoveryMission Community, St Bartholomew, Devonport, St Mark, Ford& St Gabriel, Peverell Park Fr. R. Silk – 01752 562623; Torquay StMarychurch Fr R Ward 01803 269258; Torquay St Martin, Fr GChapman 01803 327223; Torre All Saints, Fr.P.March 01 803312754DIOCESE OF GUILDFORD, Society ParishesAldershot StAugustine, Fr Keith Hodges 01252 320840, Hawley Holy Trinityand All Saints, Fr.William Perry - 01276 609498. - For further de-tails of all activities, events etc in both parishes, visit the churchweb sites www.staugustine-aldershot.org.uk andwww.parishofhawley.org.uk

FiF, DIOCESE OF LEICESTERBlackfordby and WoodvilleFr.Michael Fish 01283 229072; Leicester St Aidan, New Parks, Fr SLumby 0116 287 2342; St Mary de Castro, Fr D Maudlin 01572820181; St Chad, Fr M Court 0116 241 3205; St Hugh, Eyres Mon-sell , vacant, contact Fr.Philip O'Reilly 0116 240 2215; NarboroughFr A Hawker 0116 275 1470; Scraptoft Fr M Court 0116 241 3205;Wistow Benefice Fr P O’Reilly 0116 240 2215FiF, DIOCESE OF LINCOLN Resolution Parishes: BinbrookGroup (Louth) Fr.McEune 07411 761883; Edenham ( Bourne)Fr.Martin 01778 591358; Grimsby St Augustine vacant contactMr.A.Walmsley 01472 825761; Skirbeck St Nicholas (Boston)contact Mrs.L.Forman 01205 354687; Wainfleet Group (Skeg-ness) Fr.Morgan 01 754 880029; Burgh-le- Marsh (Skegness) FrSteele 01754 810216; Fosdyke All Saints (Kirton) Fr Blanch01205 624128. Non-petitioning parishes information: South Lin-colnshire- Fr Martin 07736 711360; North Lincolnshire- Fr Noble- tbaLEEDS FiF, wITHIN THE DIOCESE OF LEEDSBelle Isle StJohn and St Barnabas, Priest in Charge, Fr Chris Buckley CMP01132 717821, also priest with pastoral responsibility for theParish of Hunslet St Mary. Cross Green St Hilda, Fr.Darren PercivalSSC 07960 555609. Harehills St Wilfrid, Fr Terry Buckingham SSC:01943 876066, Sunday Mass 10amFiF, DIOCESE OF MANCHESTERAudenshaw St.Hilda , Soci-ety, Fr.John Kershaw - 0161 336 2310; Blackley Holy Trinity, Soci-ety, Fr Philip Stamp 0161 205 2879; Lower Broughton TheAscension, Society, Canon David Wyatt 0161 736 8868; Chadder-ton St Mark, Society Fr.Steven Smith - 0161 624 0535;Failsworth Holy Family, Society, Fr.Paul Hutchins - 0161 6813644; Glodwick St Mark, Society, Churchwarden - Michael Hig-gins - 0161 626 4007; Hollinwood St Margaret, Society, ParishOffice - 0161 682 5106; Leigh St Thomas & All Saints, Resolution,Fr Robert Dixon 01942 673519; Lightbowne St Luke, Society, FrPhilip Stamp – 0161 205 2879; Little Lever St Matthew, Resolu-tion, Fr.John Wiseman, 01 204 700396; Middleton Junction StGabriel, Resolution Fr.Steven Smith - 0161 624 2005; Moss Side

Christ Church, Society, Canon Simon Killwick 0161 226 2476;Oldham St James with St Ambrose, Society, Churchwarden -Janet Taylor - 0161 345 3330; Peel Green St Michael, Society,Fr.Ian Hall - 0161 788 8991; Prestwich St Hilda, Society, FrRonald Croft 0161 773 1642; Royton St Paul, Society, Fr.GrahamHollowood - 0161 624 4964; Salford St Paul, Society, CanonDavid Wyatt 0161 736 8868; Swinton and Pendlebury Society, FrJeremy Sheehy 0161 727 8175; Tonge Moor, Bolton St Augus-tine, Society, Fr Tony Davies 01204 523899; Winton St MaryMagdalene, Society, Fr Ian Hall 0161 788 8991; Withington StCrispin, Society, Fr Patrick Davies 0161 224 3452FiF, DIOCESE OF PORTSMOUTHFareham SS Peter andPaul, Fareham Fr.Roger Jackson 01 329 281521; IOW: All Saints,Godshill, and St Alban, Ventnor Fr John Ryder 01983 840895;Good Shepherd, Lake, and St Saviour on the Cliff, Shanklin, Fr.DavidLawrence-March 01 983 407928; Portsmouth: St Michael, Pauls-grove, Fr Ian Newton 02392 378194; The Ascension, North End,Fr.Benjamin Weitzmann 023 9243 9711; Southsea Holy Spirit,Fr.Russell Lawson 023 9229 6364; Stamshaw St Saviour, Fr.Ben-jamin Weitzmann 023 9243 9711FiF, DIOCESE OF ROCHESTERBeckenham St Michael, 11amSung Mass; Belvedere St Augustine, 10am Sung Mass; Swanley StMary, 10am Sung Mass; Bickley St George, 8am Low Mass,10.30am Sung Mass; ChislehurstThe Annunciation, 8am LowMass, 10am Sung Mass; Elmers End St James, 9.15am Sung Mass,10am Sung Mass; Gillingham St Luke, Parish Mass 10.30am;Higham St John, 9.30am Sung Mass; Sevenoaks St John, 8am LowMass, 10am Sung Mass; Tunbridge Wells St Barnabas, 10am SungMass; all contact details from Fr Clive Jones 020 8311 6307FiF, DIOCESE OF ST ALBANSFiF Recommended ChurchesBedford St Martin, Fr Pimenta 01234 357862; Bushey Heath StPeter, Fr Burton 020 8950 1424; Hemel Hempstead St Francis,Hammerfield , Fr Macey 01442 243258; Luton: Holy Cross, MarshFarm, Fr.Brown 01582 512228; Holy Trinity, Biscot, Fr Singh 01582579410; St Mary, Sundon & St Saviour, Fr Smejkal 01582583076.(Please contact clergy for details of services)FiF, DIOCESE OF ST EDMUNDSBURY and IPSwICHCookley St.Michael and All Angels, Fr.Jonathan Olanczuk, 01 502470079, 9.30am Mass (3rd Sunday in Month) ; Ipswich St Mary atthe Elms, Fr.John Thackray 07780 613754. Sunday Mass 10.45am-Mendlesham St Mary, Fr Philip Gray 01449 766359; Eye SS Peterand Paul - The Rev.Dr.Guy Sumpter 01 379 871986.FiF, DIOCESE OF SHEFFIELDBolton-on-Dearne St Andrew,Fr.Schaefer 01 709 898426; Cantley St Wilfrid, Fr Andrew Howard01302 285 316; Doncaster Holy Trinity, Fr Stokoe 01302 371256;Edlington St John the Baptist, Fr Edmonds 01709 858358;Goldthorpe SS John and Mary Magdalene, Fr Schaefer 01709898426; Hexthorpe St Jude, Fr Edmonds 01709 858358; HickletonSt Wilfrid, Fr Schaefer 01709 898426; Hoyland St Peter, Fr Parker01226 749231; Thurnscoe St Hilda, vacant; Mexborough St Johnthe Baptist, Fr. Morrison 01 709 582321; Moorends St Wilfrith, FrPay 07530921952; New Bentley Ss Philip and James, Fr Dickinson01302 875266; New Cantley St Hugh, Fr Stokoe 01302 371256;New Rossington St Luke, Fr.Leal 01 302 864304; Ryecroft: StNicholas, Fr.Andrew Lee 01 709 921257; Dalton: Holy Trinity, Fr.An-drew Lee 01 709 921257; Doncaster Ss Leonard & Jude (with StLuke) Fr. D’Silva 01 302 784858; Sheffield: St Bernard, SoutheyGreen and St Cecilia, Parson Cross, Fr Ryder-West 0114 2493916; StCatherine, Richmond Road, Fr.Knowles 0114 2399598; StMatthew, Carver Street, Fr.Grant Naylor 01 142 665681; St Mary,Handsworth, Fr Johnson 01142 692403 (contact clergy for Masstimes, etc)FiF SOUTHAMPTON Society parishes (under the episco-pal care of the Bishop of Richborough) welcome you: StBarnabas, Lodge Road (off Inner Avenue A33 London Road) Sunday:Solemn Mass 10am, Daily Mass and other service details from FrBarry Fry SSC 02380 223107; Holy Trinity, Millbrook (Off A33 citycentre road from M271) Sunday: Solemn Mass10am, MidweekMass and other service details from Churchwarden 07709022080 DIOCESE of TRURO - FIF Recommended Parishes FALMOUTH:St. Michael & All Angels, Penwerris, vacant, contact MissB.A.Meade, 01 326 212865; PENRYN: St. Gluvius, Fr.S.Wales –01326 378638; TRURO: St. George, Fr. C. Epps – 01 872 278595

DiocesanDirectory

The Bishop of BeverleyPROVINCE OF YORK (EXCEPT BLACKBURN AND LEEDS)

The Right Revd Glyn WebsterHoly Trinity Rectory, Micklegate, York YO1 6LE

01904 628155 [email protected]

The Bishop of BurnleyBLACKBURN

The Right Revd Philip North CMPDean House, 449 Padiham Road, Burnley BB12 6TE01282 479300 [email protected]

The Bishop of ChichesterCHICHESTER

The Right Revd Dr Martin Warner SSCThe Palace, Chichester PO19 1PY 01243 782161

[email protected]

The Bishop of EbbsfleetPROVINCE OF CANTERBURY (WEST)

The Right Revd Jonathan Goodall SSCHill House, The Mount, Caversham,Reading RG4 7RE 0118 948 [email protected] www.ebbsfleet.org.uk

The Bishop of FulhamLONDON & SOUTHWARK

The Right Revd Jonathan Baker The Vicarage, 5 St Andrew St, London EC4A 3AF

020 7932 1130 [email protected]

The Bishop of RichboroughPROVINCE OF CANTERBURY: EAST (EXCEPT CHICHESTER,LONDON & SOUTHWARK); EUROPE

The Right Revd Norman Banks SSCParkside House, Abbey Mill Lane, St Albans AL3 4HE01727 836358 [email protected] www.richborough.org.uk

The Bishop of WakefieldLEEDS

The Right Revd Tony Robinson SSCPontefract Ho, 181A Manygates Lane, Wakefield WF2 7DR

01924 250781 / 07834 [email protected]

The Right Revd John Gaisford SSC(formerly Bishop of Beverley)

The Right Revd John Goddard SSC(formerly Bishop of Burnley)

The Right Revd Dr John Hind(formerly Bishop of Chichester)

The Right Revd Martyn Jarrett SSC(formerly Bishop of Beverley)

The Right Revd Roger Jupp SSC(formerly Bishop of Popondota)

The Right Revd Robert Ladds SSC(formerly Bishop of Whitby)

The Right Revd Michael Langrish(formerly Bishop of Exeter)

The Right Revd Peter Ramsden(formerly Bishop of Port Moresby)

The Right Revd Nicholas Reade(formerly Bishop of Blackburn)

The Right Revd Lindsay Urwin OGS (formerly Bishop of Horsham)

The Right Revd Peter Wheatley (formerly Bishop of Edmonton)

Bishops ofe Society


Fan the Flame!The Fan the Flame Mission at St Gabriel’s, Fullbrook

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EDENHAM REGIONAL HOUSE RETREAT CENTREnr Bourne Lincs. Near Peterborough. Underthe Episcopal Care of Bishop of Richbor-ough. Individuals and small groups wel-come. Private Chapel and spacious roomsfor day visits, disabled facilities, self-cateringflat. Contact Fr. Edward Martin SSC, ERHChurch Lane Edenham, Lincs PE10 OLS. 01778 591358. edenhamoffice@ gmail.com

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parish directory - Forward in FaithLONDON N21 Holy Trinity, Winchmore Hill. A modern catholic parish under the Bishop of Fulham . Every Sunday: Said Mass 9.00am and Sung Mass10.30am